ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Santa Ana, California) 09 April 07 Snakes alive! Rattlesnake season under way in the Hills. (Diane Reed)

Beware of snakes in the grass.

Hikers, bikers, joggers, golfers and dog walkers in the Hills this spring need to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes this spring. Almost everyone who lives near the wilderness areas of Anaheim Hills has a rattlesnake story to tell.

Kelly Oakley was new to the Hills when she saw something small at her feet as she was unloading groceries from the family car.

"It was a baby rattlesnake on my garage floor," she recalled. "We looked all over, but we never found its mother."

Even baby rattlers have venomous bites and will strike if disturbed And they may look like a small twig when stretched out on the ground.

"I taught my children not to pick up sticks and not to ride their bikes over them either," she said.

Neighbors wrangled the snake into a bucket and took it to nearby Oak Canyon Nature Center, 6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, where it was released into the wild.

Rattlesnakes are indigenous to the area and prey on mice and other small rodents that could otherwise become household nuisances or pose health concerns.

So far, this spring, only two sightings have been reported at the nature center.

Jennifer Phillips director of the Orange County Animal Care Center warns that rattlers should be given a wide berth.

"Observe them from a distance" she said. "Don't come close to it and always keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings."

The Animal Care Center will respond to any snake call.

"Call us for venomous or non-venomous snakes," she said. "We will take care of them for you. We euthanize them."

The Animal Care Center may be reached at 714-935-6848.

A Wilderness Warnings brochure is available free at the Nature Center, which also holds classes to educate kids about snakes and other plants and creatures that may pose a threat when they are outdoors.

A small museum at the center also has a live rattler on display and other exhibits that include coyotes, owls, skunks, raccoons and bobcats.

Contact the Nature Center at 714-998-8380.
Rattlesnake season under way in the Hills.

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