A California mountain biker died after being bitten by a rattlesnake.Unseasonably warm weather is bringing snakes out earlier than usual.Utah has five species of rattlesnakes, the Great Basin being the most common.<\/p>\n
A 25-year-old mountain biker died earlier this month following complications from a rattlesnake bite sustained during a ride in Southern California in February. <\/p>\n
Julian Enrique Hernandez of Costa Mesa, California, was bitten on Feb. 1 near the Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine when he stepped aside to let others pass, according to PinkBike<\/a>. Fire crews treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital where he spent a month in the ICU before passing away.<\/p>\n In Arizona, Walter Martin of Wickenburg told AZFamily<\/a> he was working on a project with his children on Feb. 28 when he went into his shop to get a tool. He reached around a shelf and felt a sting.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t explain it. How bad it hurts, you know, and I\u2019ve been through a lot in my life,\u201d Martin said. \u201cI just, I looked down at my finger, and I just stood there for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Martin said he did not hear a rattle until after the bite, which he described as the most shocking part of the encounter. \u201cI was just kind of dazed. And then I heard the rattle, and the only thing that went through my mind was I yelled at my son, get me to the hospital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He received treatment at the hospital and is making a recovery.<\/p>\n Warm weather brings out rattlesnakes<\/p>\n Rattlesnake season appears to be starting early this year due to the unseasonable warm temperatures in the West. The snakes are beginning to emerge from their winter dens, as hikers and others head outdoors to spend time in the sunshine.<\/p>\n The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has already distributed information about how to stay safe this spring and summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to become more knowledgeable about the rattlesnakes that you may encounter around your residence or during outdoor recreational activities,\u201d said DWR native herpetology coordinator Alyssa Hoekstra. \u201cBeing aware of species you may encounter is a great way to be proactive in avoiding any unwanted interactions with rattlesnakes and prepares you to respond in a safe manner.\u201d <\/p>\n There are five rattlesnake species in Utah, and the most common is the Great Basin rattlesnake, which is a subspecies of the Western rattlesnake, according to the state wildlife resources<\/a> division<\/p>\n Rocky benches, high-elevation slopes and dry canyons are the most common places in Utah to encounter rattlesnakes, often while people are out hiking, rock climbing or biking, per Wildlife Resources. However, you might also come across rattlers at lower elevations and in open areas. Individual rattlesnakes move around a large area known as their \u201chome range\u201d and will usually move on from a specific location within a short period of time, according to DWR.<\/p>\n Rattlesnakes are protected under Utah law, making it illegal to harass or kill one. They use their venom to subdue prey so they can eat it, and a snake will only bite defensively if it feels threatened.<\/p>\n \u201cLike most wild animals, rattlesnakes fear humans and will do anything they can to avoid us,\u201d Hoekstra said. \u201cIf a snake is feeling threatened, it may act in defense. The best course of action is to maintain a safe distance from rattlesnakes and other native snake species.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Identifying a rattlesnake<\/p>\n Martin said he did not hear a rattle until after the snake bit him. Wildlife Resources officials say don\u2019t count on a rattlesnake to reveal its presence by rattling. <\/p>\n They also offer advice on how to tell rattlesnakes from gopher snakes (also referred to as bull snakes and blow snakes), which are abundant in Utah. They are often mistaken for rattlesnakes due to similarities in their appearance and behavior. <\/p>\n When alarmed, gopher snakes hiss loudly, flatten their heads into a triangular shape, curl their bodies into an S-like shape and vibrate their tails. <\/p>\n A rattlesnake\u2019s tail is wide and blunt \u2014 and tipped with a rattle. A gopher snake\u2019s tail is slender, pointed and lacks a rattle. Rattlesnakes, however, may lose their rattles or sometimes may not rattle when disturbed. <\/p>\n Rattlesnakes also have broad, triangular-shaped heads and vertical eye pupils, while non-venomous snakes in Utah tend to have longer snouts and round pupils, according to DWR. If you cannot identify a snake, the best course of action is to move away and treat the snake as if it were venomous. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n How common are rattlesnake bites?<\/p>\n Rattlesnake bites in the U.S. range from 7,000 to 8,000 annually, with most bites occurring in the South, according to WorldAnimalFoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to the foundation, states with the highest incidence of snake bites per million population per year are:<\/p>\n North Carolina at 157.8\u00a0West Virginia at 105.3Arkansas at 92.9Oklahoma at 61,Virginia a48.7Texas at 44.2.<\/p>\n