Baby rattlesnake season has arrived, marking the second peak of rattlesnake activity in California

🚨 NEWS ALERT: Baby Rattlesnake Season Arrives in Northern California and the Bay Area

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Residents across the San Francisco Bay Area should be on alert as the region enters the annual baby rattlesnake season, bringing an increase in encounters with newly born Northern Pacific rattlesnakes.

Unlike many species of wildlife that hatch from eggs in late summer, rattlesnakes give live birth. Newborn rattlesnakes typically arrive during late summer and early fall, creating a secondary peak in rattlesnake encounters that follows the earlier spring and summer activity.

🐍 Newborn rattlesnakes may remain with their mother

After giving birth, a mother rattlesnake may remain with her newborns for a period of time. The young snakes may stay together for a week or more, including until they complete their first shed.

That means homeowners encountering one young rattlesnake should not assume there aren’t others nearby.

⚠️ The myth about baby rattlesnake venom

One of the most persistent—and potentially dangerous—rattlesnake myths is that baby rattlesnakes cannot control how much venom they inject.

That is a myth.

Newborn rattlesnakes possess functional venom-delivery systems and should be considered capable of delivering a medically significant bite. Their small size does not make them harmless.

In some circumstances, newborn rattlesnakes may actually present an increased detection problem because they are so easy to overlook.

🔇 A baby rattlesnake may be essentially silent

A newborn rattlesnake is not born with a fully developed rattle.

Instead, it has only the first segment, commonly called a “button.” The rattle becomes progressively developed as the snake sheds its skin. A newborn’s warning sound may therefore be extremely faint or completely inaudible to a person nearby.

Young rattlesnakes will attempt to rattle when threatened, but homeowners should never rely on hearing a rattle as a warning that a snake is present.

A small snake hiding in leaves, landscaping, a garage or another dark location can be surprisingly difficult to detect.

🏠 Baby rattlesnakes can turn up surprisingly close to home

During this seasonal period, young rattlesnakes can turn up in:

• Backyards and gardens
• Garages and sheds
• Under decks and outdoor structures
• Around wood piles and landscaping
• Pet areas
• And, occasionally, inside homes

Their small size can allow them to go unnoticed in places where an adult rattlesnake would be immediately obvious.

🚒 Who should you call?

Another important consideration is who responds when a rattlesnake is discovered.

Police and fire departments perform essential public-safety functions, but that does not necessarily mean they are trained, equipped or experienced in handling venomous wildlife.

A rattlesnake removal situation is a specialized wildlife-handling problem.

Think about it this way: You wouldn’t call a professional rattlesnake removal company to put out a kitchen fire—so why automatically call the fire department to remove a rattlesnake?

Likewise, simply because an individual, agency or service says they can handle a rattlesnake does not necessarily mean they should.

When a venomous snake is encountered, residents should keep people and pets away, avoid attempting to capture or kill the snake, and contact a qualified professional like David Allen with Got Snakes? Snake Removal with demonstrated experience handling venomous snakes.

🚨 The second rattlesnake peak is approaching

According to Northern California snake-removal professionals, the late-summer birth period represents an important second peak of rattlesnake activity.

The combination of newly born snakes, changing temperatures and increased movement around residential properties can create more opportunities for encounters.

If you live in rattlesnake country, now is the time to be vigilant.

Look before reaching into wood piles, dense vegetation, crawl spaces or other concealed areas. Keep children and pets away from any snake you cannot positively identify, and never assume that a small rattlesnake is a harmless one.

The snake you don’t hear may be the one you need to worry about most. 

David Allen

Got Snakes?
Northern California Snake Removal

925-997-3730