As Arizona shifts into warmer weather, beware of rattlesnakes, experts say

As the temperatures rise and the sun casts its golden glow over the Arizona landscape, more and more people are drawn outside to embrace the beauty of the outdoors. However, amid the breathtaking scenery and rugged trails, there’s a potentially dangerous cohabitant – the rattlesnake.

Bryan Kuhn, a toxicologist from the Banner Poison & Drug Information Center, cautions adventurers about the increased encounters between humans and snakes as temperatures climb above 80 degrees.

“Generally speaking, once we get consistent temperatures in the Valley above 80 to 85 degrees, we start to see a dramatic increase in the number of encounters of snakes and people who are out in the territory in which snakes are. That could be in your home or in rural areas,” Kuhn said.

In Arizona, where the desert stretches far and wide, 13 rattlesnake species make their presence known in both rural areas and even occasionally in homes, especially from March to October, according to the Arizona Game & Fish Department.

But fear not, for knowledge is the key to safety, according to Cale Morris, the venom manager at the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary. He advises hikers and residents alike to stay vigilant and always mindful of their surroundings. A simple rule emerges – never reach into the unknown as rattlesnakes may be lurking nearby.

“As far as being safe hiking around, safe around your home, paying attention to your surroundings, you know you’re in the desert and rattlesnakes are around you, be mindful of that,” Morris said. “Don’t ever put your hands down into bushes or into spaces where you can’t see where they are.”

Barbara Postorino, an experienced hiker, shared her encounters with the slithering neighbors. She said she aims to respect their space and allow them to continue on their path undisturbed.

“We hike all these mountains around here and some longer hikes, and in the dead of summer, they are really out a lot then,” Postorino said on a hike at Pinnacle Peak in April. “They’ll be there and they’ll coil, and you just let them have their space, and they turn around and go the other way or go where they’re going. But occasionally we have had to take a rock, and you throw it in their direction and they move much quicker.”

In the event of a snakebite, swift action is paramount, Kuhn said. He emphasized the importance of seeking medical attention promptly, urging individuals to head to larger hospitals equipped with the necessary antivenoms. He said it’s crucial to stay calm and let experts handle the situation.

“We want all of these patients to present to an emergency department at a larger hospital, not at a freestanding emergency department or urgent care. At our facilities we have the ability to administer one of the two antivenoms,” Kuhn said.

With a 3-foot strike zone, rattlesnakes command respect. Yet, with a step back, the average adult can safely evade their reach, allowing both human and serpent to coexist harmoniously.

If you encounter a rattlesnake in your yard, garage, or home, get away and call a professional to come and safely remove it. The Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary can remove the rattlesnake from the property for a fee. More information can be found on the organization’s website or by calling (602)-550-1090.

Pet safety and training options

"Dogs are very curious animals," said Cody Will, who trains dogs with his company, Rattlesnake Ready, LLC. "They experience the world with their nose and so, essentially, anything new and exciting they want to go sniff it."

After hearing multiple reports of dogs being bitten by snakes, we decided to look into what you can do to ensure your dog does not become a victim of a rattlesnake bite.

See ABC15's interview with a family whose dog survived a bite during a scary snake encounter:

Experts with Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center list safety tips on their website, as, oftentimes, the owner will not see the actual strike happen.

The center said if you notice a bleeding puncture wound, swelling, and bruising in the area, your dog has slow breath and is whimpering in pain, or has sluggish behavior - those are all signs your pet has been struck and needs immediate emergency care.
Will uses a four-step process that he said only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to train your dog to stay away from a rattlesnake.

The list on his company website is as follows:

1. Juvenile Rattlesnake: We begin by exposing the dog to a safely muzzled, live, juvenile* rattlesnake. It is placed in an open, highly visible area for maximum exposure. Without our influence, the dog is left to find the snake. When they do, most dogs are more than happy to investigate the snake. As soon as they are too close, they are given a static correction using the e-collar until they understand to keep their distance. Because I allow the dogs to get right up to the snake on an open surface with good contrast, they make the correct associations almost immediately. Having found your dog's sweet spot setting on the collar (just enough to teach, not traumatize!) and once they are maintaining a safe distance from the snake, we move on. Most of the learning occurs in this step.

2. Isolated Scent Recognition: This supplementary step exposes the dog to the smells of rattlesnakes. The dog is left to approach a scented object on their own terms. Should they choose to stick their nose on the items, after getting a good “whiff” they are given a moderate static correction which implants within their mind that even just the smell is bad. This is in case the dog is ever poking around inside holes, under logs, etc. and comes across this smell again without seeing or hearing the snake; they’ll know it is a threat as they associate the discomfort from training with the smell. *If your dog has a good nose and got close to the juvenile snake initially, it is likely that he/she will know to avoid the scented items too having learned the smell from the real thing in step 1! Therefore it is fairly common for dogs to not need correcting at this step.

3. Basic Sound Recognition: In this next step, the dog is exposed to the sounds of a rattlesnake (without any visual or olfactory cues). This step is especially important for those bush-loving dogs and those than hunt in tall grass. This is where I use a “rattleblind” which is naturally concealed audio equipment with a rattlesnake sound recording. As the dog unknowingly approaches it, the recording is played. At that moment an automatic correction is given and teaches the dog a fast, instinctive reaction to avoiding this fascinating sound. Other exercises include having the owner move away from the sound as well to supplement the message, and we will also incorporate recall with positive reinforcement so that after a future rattlesnake sound encounter your dog will come running to your side (and not to the snake!)

4. Adult Rattlesnake: The final step exposes them once again to a real rattlesnake-this time a large adult. This is so that they are aware that snakes come in different sizes. Most dogs will already show complete avoidance by this point, and therefore require minimal to zero correcting. Here they are given the chance to put it all together with multiple scenarios and approaches, by placing the snake in several places of varying difficulty to spot. When no mistakes are made and the dog clearly and consistently wants nothing to do with the snake – congratulations! Training complete.

"It's a one-time lesson that convinces them to leave them [a snake] alone," Will explained.

Editor's note: A portion of a version of this story was originally published on ABC15.com in July 2018.