Rattlesnake Weather Is Coming—And That’s a Good Thing
I grew up close to a swampy bend in the Missouri River crawling with its fair share of dangerous creatures. Indoors, only two arachnids you’ve surely heard of, the black widow and brown recluse spiders, warrant any concern. The black widow’s bite causes fever, muscle spasms and severe pain. Brown recluse venom on the other hand causes necrosis—rotting flesh. My sister can show you where a brown recluse scooped a chunk out of her leg. Outdoors, a wildly diverse environment, more spiders as well as bats, ticks, bobcats, coyotes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes.
Good parents don’t let you play outside around those parts without telling you what to watch out for. Check routinely for the often painless attachment of ticks. Back away slowly from territorial bobcats and don’t turn your back on them, or you’ll trigger their instinct to chase. Cottonmouths usually stick to the rivers and lakes that they’re used to, but copperheads and rattlesnakes swim just as competently. And rattlers, denizens of sunbeaten rockpiles, dry prairie gulches and woodsy river valleys, won’t always give the courtesy of rattling.
Missouri is not Australia by any means, and California certainly ain’t Missouri. If Mother Nature wants to kill us, she’ll either burn or shake us to death. Black widow and brown recluse spiders aren’t prevalent in the Bay Area, although we do have tarantulas! However, the Golden State is full of critters equipped with injectable hells. If you appreciate the great outdoors (and you should), know which can turn your day hike into a night in the ICU. As for snakes best respected from a distance, the Northern Pacific rattlesnake has the entire Bay Area to itself.
Not cute, not friendly, still every bit as important
I’m lucky the snakes that no doubt watched me as I passed, perfectly camouflaged and still, felt safer not striking. With runaway curiosity and untreated ADHD, I turned over every log, rock, and piece of sheet metal I found outside. That said, maybe ‘stupidly fortunate’ is more appropriate. I have only heard the rattle of a snake too close for comfort, invisible yet everywhere to a terrified ear. You freeze, a reflex oft-forgotten and viscerally recognizable as primal, part of our genetics for millennia. You should back away slowly, like with the bobcat, only this time, watch your step.
That same instinct also engenders an unnecessary fear and even hatred of rattlesnakes and other serpents. Ophidiophobia, a Greek term for the irrational fear of snakes, affects 2–3% of the world’s population, per one 2016 study. Snakes are simultaneously ancient and advanced. Pit vipers, named so for the heat-sensing pits on their noses, are relatively new, biologically speaking. Thermal vision, potent venom, retractable fangs that shed and regrow like shark’s teeth, and in rattlesnakes, a sophisticated warning system. Underneath our phobia lies a healthy respect for this impressive predator.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to head up to Tilden Park or Lake Berryessa to wrangle some rattlers like some crazed Evangelical. These animals deserve our utmost respect. I just think they’re neat.
Indiana Jones might disagree.
San Francisco has it all—except rattlesnakes
San Francisco is California’s only rattlesnake-free metropolis as of 2022, when SFGate published an article about California’s booming Crotalus population. Right now, the city is chilly enough that only the harmless, endangered San Francisco garter snake lives here. As global warming accelerates however, SFGate suspects even we may find ourselves in rattlesnake country.
Related: Snake On Muni Frightens Some, Fascinates Others
I can already picture it. In a warmer climate, Bernal and Corona Heights would serve as perfect habitats, as well as rat-dominated Buena Vista Park. A feast awaits these hypothetical snakes. But I doubt an influx of rattlesnakes would solve San Francisco’s rodent problem in a way residents would appreciate. Then again, coyotes are one of their few natural predators. And we’ve plenty of wily canines around here. Spice up your walk through McLaren Park with venomous snakes!
The Northern Pacific rattlesnake and you
We’re lucky that the only venomous animal in the Bay Area, the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, is a skittish little critter. They don’t become aggressive until they need to. They strike when frightened, surprised, or purposely aggravated. You may or may not be surprised how many idiots fuck with snakes, depending on how many men you know. If they can escape your approaching footsteps, they will. So be certain with your movements outdoors. Look first. Step on rocks or logs vs. over them. Never hike alone, or with headphones on. If they’re nice enough to warn you, it’s your fault if you’re not listening.
Important: What to do if you’re bitten
Late April–early May is when the Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) emerges from winter brumation. Don’t expect to hear that spine-chilling rattle in San Francisco. Where can you anticipate it? Everywhere else. Generally speaking, if you leave them be, they’ll leave you be.
Don’t let anxiety stop you from getting educated about coexisting peacefully with these vital members of California’s ecosystem. These badass feats of biology control crop-damaging rodents that reproduce quickly and carry diseases like plague and Hanta virus. Snakes have zero interest in human affairs. If you find a rattlesnake has wandered onto your warm, drought-friendly gravel yard, snake catchers can humanely relocate it.
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
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