LAist: Rattlesnake 101

Donna Lethal

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:02:57 -0800

This had been fwd'd several times: Seriously, I pass this along to you because this is a very bad rattlesnake year. We have been seeing them since early April -- thank goodness they are the Pacific Rattlers that make a lot of noise and don't want to attack. The Mojave Greens are a different nature -- they are hard to see because of muted colors, they are seriously agressive and will strike and go after you, they are the deadliest of the rattlers. I don't want to spread misinformation -- so look them up but I do know that they can kill you quickly and the antivenom for their bite doesn't always work." Note - that is misinfo about the Pac Rattler, who will bite if provoked or cornered.

Elise Thompson

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:01:55 -0800

Google searching it brings up a number of photos of Mojave rattlesnakes in LA county. I think the guy bitten in Inglewood was bitten by a Mojave, at least that's the photo the newspaper used. Maybe the heat has them moving west from San Bernadino. BTW Donna, I heard that entire neurotixin paragraph in the voice of Vincent Price.

guslevy

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:32:10 -0800

Are you intimating that the Mojave Green rattlesnake is in Los Angeles county? If so, that would be a new occurrence.... Perhaps people are mistaking the Mojave rattler with the good ol' fashioned not-nearly-as-lethal western diamondback? Could you post the source and contents of the original e-mail warning? Thanks.