Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Baby rattler at my door

"The whole thing was so frustrating, as there weren't any clear options."

It was sort of a big baby rattlesnake
It was sort of a big baby rattlesnake

A baby rattlesnake was found by Veronica Alcaraz's sister at her front door on February 12th.

Via Aquario is sandwiched between a couple canyons.

"Can you believe it?! My sister was taking things to and from her car when she spotted it. It was curled up right at the door entrance. The crazy thing is she was just pulling up weeds in that area a little before." Alcaraz said its small size made her nervous there could be more nearby.

This was an early sighting, as snakes usually don't make an appearance in nearby Tecolote Canyon neighborhoods until spring. While Alcaraz's sister lives near a canyon, she doesn't live right on a canyon. The snake had to cross the road to get to her front porch on Via Aquario.

Alcaraz's sister and brother-in-law managed to get the snake into a plastic container but weren't sure what to do next. "The whole thing was so frustrating, as there really [weren't] any clear options, plus it being Monday, [it appears] county animal control is closed."

Sponsored
Sponsored

The county gets calls about snakes all year long but much less during the cold months of November through February.

Alcaraz turned to social media to get advice while her sister continued to work the phones looking for help.

Advice ranged from setting it free to killing it  — though one person warned it was illegal to kill a rattlesnake. Someone commented that rattlesnakes are solitary hunters shortly after birth so it wasn't likely there would be others around. Someone else commented that they congregate for warmth so others were probably nearby. Rumors abounded that a baby rattler's bite is more deadly since they release all their venom in one bite versus an adult snake, which has more control.

With animal control closed on Mondays, the baby rattler had to hold tight until Tuesday.

Other neighbors shared their experiences with finding snakes, including rattlesnakes, in their homes, saying they can squeeze through any small opening. One longtime Clairemont resident said she witnessed a gentleman getting bit by a baby rattler at Black's Beach a few years ago during the spring when they are active.

"He did not have a cell phone, but I had [Scripps] Green Hospital on autodial and called them to have an ambulance ready at the Torrey Pines State Beach parking lot. I helped the guy walk about a mile on the beach to the ambulance. He ended up being okay after receiving the anti-venom at Green."

While Alcaraz fielded advice on social media, she called Project Wildlife, where she was told they don't work with reptiles.

"Everyone's suggestions were to put it back in the canyon but I didn't feel secure to do that, as many people, including ourselves, frequently hike there, so why would I do that? Then we thought to drive it out somewhere far but then thought twice to find that potentially illegal or a danger to such local wildlife there. I was at odds and so the snake remained in the container overnight."

Bradford Hollingsworth

Dr. Bradford Hollingsworth, curator of herpetology at the San Diego Natural History Museum, identified the snake from Alcaraz's photo as a Western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), found in coastal and mountain areas of Southern California and Baja. He said even though snakes become active in the spring, they are known to emerge on warm winter days in San Diego.

I asked Hollingsworth if rattlesnakes are solitary hunters. "Yes, they are ambush hunters." What about bunking up to keep warm? "Yes, but only during the colder seasons, in what are called hibernaculum [tent for winter quarters]. In [San Diego], this is rare [and] more common in higher latitudes."

Is a baby rattler’s bite more deadly? "No, both baby and adult rattlesnakes are equally dangerous [and] many variables go into the human reaction to an envenomation [process by which venom is injected by the bite]….

“Rattlesnakes are part of our natural environment. They provide rodent control as predators, but also are preyed on by raptors and coyotes." Coyotes are plentiful in Tecolote Canyon and are often spotted in nearby neighborhood yards.

Alcarez ended up getting ahold of animal control the next day. "They came to get it, no charge, no questions."

I called the county's animal-control emergency line around midnight on February 16th and was told that there is always someone ready to take calls. While they do get calls about snakes year round, there are less during the colder months of November through February. I was told that animal control only sends someone out if the snake is considered dangerous, like a rattlesnake. If Alcaraz had called the emergency line, someone would have been out on Monday to take the rattler. The county does release the snakes back into the wild.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance
It was sort of a big baby rattlesnake
It was sort of a big baby rattlesnake

A baby rattlesnake was found by Veronica Alcaraz's sister at her front door on February 12th.

Via Aquario is sandwiched between a couple canyons.

"Can you believe it?! My sister was taking things to and from her car when she spotted it. It was curled up right at the door entrance. The crazy thing is she was just pulling up weeds in that area a little before." Alcaraz said its small size made her nervous there could be more nearby.

This was an early sighting, as snakes usually don't make an appearance in nearby Tecolote Canyon neighborhoods until spring. While Alcaraz's sister lives near a canyon, she doesn't live right on a canyon. The snake had to cross the road to get to her front porch on Via Aquario.

Alcaraz's sister and brother-in-law managed to get the snake into a plastic container but weren't sure what to do next. "The whole thing was so frustrating, as there really [weren't] any clear options, plus it being Monday, [it appears] county animal control is closed."

Sponsored
Sponsored

The county gets calls about snakes all year long but much less during the cold months of November through February.

Alcaraz turned to social media to get advice while her sister continued to work the phones looking for help.

Advice ranged from setting it free to killing it  — though one person warned it was illegal to kill a rattlesnake. Someone commented that rattlesnakes are solitary hunters shortly after birth so it wasn't likely there would be others around. Someone else commented that they congregate for warmth so others were probably nearby. Rumors abounded that a baby rattler's bite is more deadly since they release all their venom in one bite versus an adult snake, which has more control.

With animal control closed on Mondays, the baby rattler had to hold tight until Tuesday.

Other neighbors shared their experiences with finding snakes, including rattlesnakes, in their homes, saying they can squeeze through any small opening. One longtime Clairemont resident said she witnessed a gentleman getting bit by a baby rattler at Black's Beach a few years ago during the spring when they are active.

"He did not have a cell phone, but I had [Scripps] Green Hospital on autodial and called them to have an ambulance ready at the Torrey Pines State Beach parking lot. I helped the guy walk about a mile on the beach to the ambulance. He ended up being okay after receiving the anti-venom at Green."

While Alcaraz fielded advice on social media, she called Project Wildlife, where she was told they don't work with reptiles.

"Everyone's suggestions were to put it back in the canyon but I didn't feel secure to do that, as many people, including ourselves, frequently hike there, so why would I do that? Then we thought to drive it out somewhere far but then thought twice to find that potentially illegal or a danger to such local wildlife there. I was at odds and so the snake remained in the container overnight."

Bradford Hollingsworth

Dr. Bradford Hollingsworth, curator of herpetology at the San Diego Natural History Museum, identified the snake from Alcaraz's photo as a Western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), found in coastal and mountain areas of Southern California and Baja. He said even though snakes become active in the spring, they are known to emerge on warm winter days in San Diego.

I asked Hollingsworth if rattlesnakes are solitary hunters. "Yes, they are ambush hunters." What about bunking up to keep warm? "Yes, but only during the colder seasons, in what are called hibernaculum [tent for winter quarters]. In [San Diego], this is rare [and] more common in higher latitudes."

Is a baby rattler’s bite more deadly? "No, both baby and adult rattlesnakes are equally dangerous [and] many variables go into the human reaction to an envenomation [process by which venom is injected by the bite]….

“Rattlesnakes are part of our natural environment. They provide rodent control as predators, but also are preyed on by raptors and coyotes." Coyotes are plentiful in Tecolote Canyon and are often spotted in nearby neighborhood yards.

Alcarez ended up getting ahold of animal control the next day. "They came to get it, no charge, no questions."

I called the county's animal-control emergency line around midnight on February 16th and was told that there is always someone ready to take calls. While they do get calls about snakes year round, there are less during the colder months of November through February. I was told that animal control only sends someone out if the snake is considered dangerous, like a rattlesnake. If Alcaraz had called the emergency line, someone would have been out on Monday to take the rattler. The county does release the snakes back into the wild.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.