{"id":413177,"date":"2026-07-26T20:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/413177\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T20:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:58:22","slug":"why-rattlesnake-bites-in-california-are-surging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/413177\/","title":{"rendered":"Why rattlesnake bites in California are surging"},"content":{"rendered":"

(NewsNation<\/a>) \u2014 California is seeing an unusual rise in rattlesnake bites in 2026.<\/p>\n

Health officials are reporting encounters occurring earlier and more frequently than normal, according to NewsNation affiliate KTLA.<\/a><\/p>\n

How many rattlesnake bites have been reported so far this year?<\/p>\n

The California Poison Control System has logged more than 250 rattlesnake-related calls so far in 2026.<\/a><\/p>\n

For comparison, the agency typically receives about 200 such calls during an entire year.<\/p>\n

How many people have died?<\/p>\n

Three deaths have been linked to venomous snake bites in California this year:<\/p>\n

Feb. 1: Julian Hernandez, 25, died after being bitten while mountain biking at Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine.<\/p>\n

\u00a0College athlete bitten by rattlesnake on Southern California hiking trail\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

March 14: Gabriela Bautista, 46, died five days after being bitten while hiking at Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks.<\/p>\n

April 8: A 78-year-old woman died two days after being bitten multiple times on rural property in Redwood Valley. Officials have not confirmed which species bit her.<\/p>\n

Rais Vohra, medical director for the Fresno\/Madera Division of the California Poison Control System, told KTLA that the death toll is “highly unusual and deeply concerning.”<\/p>\n

He said California typically records about one rattlesnake-related death per year.<\/p>\n

Why are there more bites this year?<\/p>\n

Officials say recent heat waves are a key factor. Rattlesnakes generally avoid people, but encounters become more likely as more people spend time outdoors during warmer weather.<\/p>\n

The California Poison Control System typically receives the most calls between April and October. However, a spring heat wave that began in early March accelerated snake emergence, according to the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network.<\/a><\/p>\n

How to avoid being bitten<\/p>\n

According to BEACON, earlier and warmer weather is increasing rattlesnake activity across parts of the West, including some areas of Colorado. The California Poison Control System recommends:<\/p>\n

Carry a fully charged phone and hike with a companion.<\/p>\n

Tell someone where you’re hiking and when you expect to return.<\/p>\n

Stay on clear trails and avoid tall grass and dense brush.<\/p>\n

Wear boots and long pants.<\/p>\n

Check logs and rocks for camouflaged rattlesnakes before sitting down.<\/p>\n

Avoid wearing earphones so you can hear warning rattles, though snakes do not always rattle before striking.<\/p>\n

Listen for faint buzzing or hissing sounds.<\/p>\n

If you encounter a rattlesnake, back away slowly and give it space. A rattlesnake can strike from up to half its body length away. If bitten, call 911 immediately and seek medical attention.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(NewsNation) \u2014 California is seeing an unusual rise in rattlesnake bites in 2026. Health officials are reporting encounters…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413178,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,84394,125966],"class_list":["post-413177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-rattlesnake","tag-snake-bites"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}