Overview
- A widely shared video recorded July 28 in Thousand Oaks shows two large rattlesnakes rearing and entwining in what experts say is a male combat display.
- The California Poison Control System says it logged about 250 rattlesnake-bite calls in the first six months of the year and that three people have died in that period.
- A Stevenson Ranch resident who was bitten while gardening experienced rapid venom symptoms and reached the hospital for antivenom only after repeated 911 calls failed to connect.
- Officials note that warmer weather brought snakes out of hibernation earlier than usual, that antivenom usually neutralizes circulating venom, and that prompt treatment improves outcomes.
- Health and wildlife officials advise removing rodent attractants, checking vegetation and wearing shoes when outdoors to reduce encounters, and seeking immediate medical care after any bite.