Snakes...

[badfishgood]

I saw two snakes on saturday.

I ran over the first snake, so I'm not sure what kind it was, but the second snake was a fat rattler.

It was sitting in the middle of the trail and thankfully I was creeping slowly up a little rise and saw it before I got too close.

I threw some stones at it... didn't budge. Then I ran towards it stomping my feet and it slithered away.

I knew that I was going to see a snake, b/c I kept seeing sooo many lizards. I figured, where there are lizards there are snakes.

Anyway, just wondering if you guys have seen any this year... or in the past.... has anyone been bitten?

[Letyrides]

Saw one yesterday out at Powder Canyon (off Fullerton Road). It was just suning as they often like to do. Rode by with no problems. Just keep your eyes out.

Earlier in the year my cousin had a run in with one pissed off rattler at STT. She jumped off in time but the damn thing positioned itself on her tire. It was coiled, spitting and MAD!!!

I am assuming there will be lots of wild life this summer due to the rain. There is more vegitation, bugs, etc.

Haven't heard of any bites on a mountain biker...that I know of.

[Ciaran]

"Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes!?"
I hate snakes... it's more of a phobia of sorts, but either way, I hate snakes. I've seen a few on the trails. Biggest and scariest encounter was in turnbull cyn. Coming up a hill riding slow in the left side of the trail I must have crept up too quietly because as I was passing the snake it reared up hissing and rattling like mad. It was HUGE too. Fastest 40 yards I have ridden in my whole life. It was just off the trail in the grass to the right... I was riding on the left. Had I been riding on the right hand side I would likely have been bitten.

I once came across some hikers poking a rattler with a stick. They thought it was dead. It wasn't. It was stretched out laying across the trail sunning itself. Thankfully no one was bitten.

As an aside to this topic, what should one do if we're out riding and we get bitten by a rattlesnake? Anyone?

I hate snakes.

[TheFarLeft]

we had a little adventure with a rattler a couple sundays ago

and I've seen three snakes since then in the area... none of them rattlers and two of them baby snakes (or small anyhow). I used to get scared stiff when thinking of snakes and always looked for them while riding in the summer. Now I don't really mind them... I think if you face your phobias they are likely to go away.

If you're bitten a rattlesnake you can be pretty sure you will survive (assuming you a healthy person). But if you do get bitten, don't move the part of your body that was bitten and do anything possible to keep your blood from flowing quickly: tie your jersey around your leg or arm (or whatever got bitten) and keep it cold (maybe pour some water over it).
Also, don't panic. If you panic your blood wiill flow reallly quickly and you might faint (even if you faint there's a small chance you won't survive).
Another reason not to develop a fear for rattlesnakes.

I think the Mohave rattle snake is the most dangerous to humans, but I haven't seen one around here. Some species hold their ground while others don't.

I doubt a rattle snake will have time to react and bite you if you roll over it. So I think it would be a good idea not to panic and squeeze the brakes while rolling over a rattlesnake. Just continue rolling and keep your body out of the way.
Rattlesnakes and all other animals that aren't suffering from rabies or starvation won't attack you if you don't do anything to them. So don't go riding thinking that the nature will do anything possible to eliminate you.

I used to be scared to death of tarantulas. But after seeing one and looking them up, I found out that although their bite is really painful, it isn't toxic to humans. I'm fine with that


All I'm scared of now are mountain lions
I hear that one was seen in Topanga last September. Part of a plan to keep the mountain lion poplulation up... I just hope that it has enough deer to please its appetite.