ST. GEORGE — Just like Southern Utahns of the human persuasion, rattlesnakes love warm summer days. With many sightings throughout the area, what do locals need to know?
Monte Lutz said that he’s had multiple big, mellow rattlesnakes relocated off his property. Tracy Evans has seen 11 in Zion National Park. And Treasa Anderson saw two while hiking with a group of women below the Rim Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Many others shared their experiences, photos and video clips in the St. George News Facebook page comments.
Despite a large number of sightings, there don’t appear to be more rattlers than in previous years, nor has there been an increase in the number of people reporting bites, Megen Kepas, a Native Herpetology Coordinator with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, told St. George News.
“There are probably rattlesnakes in lots of areas, and we just don’t see them — they’re not interested in interacting with us,” she added. “They’re foraging. They’re hiding.
“And I think it has been a theme this year … that there are more rattlesnakes, or rattlesnakes are moving into people’s neighborhoods or yards. But date-wise, we’re really just not seeing that. They’re sort of behaving the way that they normally do.”
The reptiles are most often seen in late spring to early summer each year, often near water, hiking trails and rocky canyons, Kepas said. After emerging from their dens, they typically move from higher to lower areas, seeking prey, like rodents.
They return to their dens in the fall, Kepas said, adding that the snakes may have been out and about later in the season due to Utah’s wet winter.
As of late June, local hospitals treated two bites, Brad Gillman, a media relations lead at Intermountain Health, told St. George News. On average, Southern Utah’s hospitals treat two to four bites annually.
Sarah Steffan with the Southwest Animal Emergency Clinic said they’ve treated six pets bitten by rattlers so far this year. Amy Murdock at Lava Rock Veterinary Hospital said they’d treated one patient, and Cedar City Animal Hospital’s Cameron Norton said they hadn’t treated any as of mid-to-late July.
What should Southern Utans do if they see a rattler?
“It’s the ones ya don’t see that get you,” L.A. McCabe commented on Facebook.
As commenter Sydney Prescott added, many people get closer to “these danger noodles” than they should.
Should a person see a rattlesnake on the trail, Kepas said the best course of action is to remain calm and walk around it, leaving the trail momentarily if necessary. Individuals should not try to move the snake but instead warn others of its presence.
“It’ll likely keep moving and be out of sight pretty quickly. … Rattlesnakes are absolutely not interested in pursuing people,” she said. “They’ll avoid you whenever they can.”
The DWR recommends locating the snake once you hear the rattle to avoid getting too close or stepping on it accidentally and remaining at least 10 feet away. Hikers should also refrain from throwing rocks, sticks or other items at it.
“Rattlesnakes do not chase people and will stop aggressive or defensive behavior once you are far enough away,” the division states.
Dogs are more likely to get bitten than people. Pet owners can decrease the chance of an incident by keeping them on a leash, Kepas said.
Those outdoors should be aware of their surroundings and avoid putting hands and feet in places they can’t see, especially while scrambling over rocks, Kepas said.
“Always look before you step or before you put your hands down,” she added. “And be aware if you’re wearing headphones or something that’s blocking noise because you might not hear a snake rattle.”
However, despite their name, rattlers will not always make the distinctive noise, as they can lose their rattles, Kepas said, responding to reports of rattlesnakes appearing to stay still and silent while a person was nearby.
Because each snake is an individual, it can react in various ways, including coiling, striking, retreating or “nothing at all,” according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Additionally, gopher snakes are commonly mistaken for their venomous cousins and sometimes shake their tails, occasionally rustling dry leaves to ward off danger, St. George News reported previously.
Individuals should assume that all snakes are venomous and keep a safe distance, said Phenix Johnson, a park naturalist at Snow Canyon State Park. And baby rattlesnakes don’t develop rattles until they shed their first skin.
Rattlers typically have slit pupils, while gopher snakes’ are rounded, she said. Similarly, rattlesnakes have triangular heads — as that is where they store their venom — whereas gopher snakes’ are more bullet shaped.
While rattlesnakes are fairly abundant in some areas, they don’t pose a significant risk to people “as long as we know how to avoid them,” Kepas said. And people should not kill the slithering locals.
“(It’s) not really going to do anything helpful for anyone,” she said. “Most people who are bitten by rattlesnakes are actually bitten because they have decided to engage with the snake. So, they’re either trying to move it or capture it or kill it. And just simply leaving it alone is the best public service you can do.”
Snakes play an important role in Southern Utah’s ecosystem, controlling “pest species,” like gophers and rats, St. George News reported. Additionally, killing or harassing a rattlesnake, unless in self-defense, is a class B misdemeanor in Utah.
Less than 1% of people in the U.S. die of venomous snake bites, and many of those are due to humans provoking the animals, the museum states.
“If you are bitten, remain calm and get to a hospital as soon as possible,” the museum’s staff writes. “Most first-aid treatments suggested many years ago are no longer recommended.”
For instance, a person should not try to suck the venom out of a wound as it can introduce bacteria, increasing the chance that it becomes infected, the division states. Additionally, tissue damage can occur if someone applies heat, cold or a tourniquet to the injured area.
Is antivenom available locally?
Intermountain hospitals carry enough antivenom to treat patients on-site. Still, in some cases, a person may need to be transferred for other reasons, depending on the severity of a bite, Gillman said. However, those treated at St. George Regional Hospital will typically not be moved, as the necessary specialists are available.
The Southwest Animal Emergency Clinic, Lava Rock Veterinary Hospital and the Cedar City Animal Hospital carry antivenom. Kepas also suggests Southern Utahns call their regular vet to learn if they stock the treatment and what protocols they should follow should their furry friends get bitten.
While antivenom can help reduce the reaction caused by a rattlesnake bite, it is not always a cure, Murdock said, adding that pet owners should share any information they can to aid in identifying the snake so that the clinic can confirm the species in question.
There are various species located in Washington County, including the Mojave rattlesnake, sidewinder and Great Basin rattlesnake, which is the most common, Kepas said.
Speckled rattlesnakes are not considered native, but they have been reported in the area, particularly along the Utah-Arizona border.
If a person finds a snake outside their home, they can call the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Hurricane field office at 435-879-8694 or the Southern Regional office in Cedar City at 435-865-6100.
Josh Terwoord, Toni Charter, Amy Hall Osness, Sylvia Boyd and Broc Parson, via Kim Parson, provided clips for the video at the top of this article.
Photo Gallery
A rattlesnake coils on the Arizona Strip, Arizona, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Justin Flowers, St. George News A rattlesnake rests in the shade, Panguitch, Utah, July 2023 | Photo courtesy of Megan Johnson, St. George News A rattlesnake rests at the edge of a trail, St. George, Utah, May 29, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News A rattlesnake remains aware of its surroundings, Parowan Canyon, Utah, July 18, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News A rattlesnake rests at the edge of a trail, St. George, Utah, May 29, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News A rattlesnake slithers away, Parowan Canyon, Utah, July 18, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News A rattlesnake coils in Kanab, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Adam Clarke, St. George News A rattlesnake coils on a cabin patio, Cedar Mountain, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Sylvia Boyd, St. George News A speckled rattlesnake hides on the Utah-Arizona border, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A rattlesnake tastes the air in Washington County, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A Mojave rattlesnake coils in Washington County, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A speckled rattlesnake hides on the Utah-Arizona border, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A speckled rattlesnake hides on the Utah-Arizona border, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A Great Basin rattlesnake coils in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Aspen Mahan, St. George News A rattlesnake rattles a warning, Veyo, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Jessica Flowers, St. George News A rattlesnake slithers through the desert in Arizona, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Tyler Skinner, St. George News A rattlesnake slithers across a paved trail at Snow Canyon State Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Jordan, St. George News
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