Watch your ‘sssstep.
Hikers hitting the trails in Southern California are being warned about a terryfing increase in rattlesnake sightings.
Snake handlers have seen a sharp uptick in reports of the venomous reptiles as they emerge from hibernation amid unseasonably warm weather.
“We’ve had 43 calls in February of this year. Last year, we had about 18,” Bruce Ireland, the founder of reptile relocation group Snake Wranglers, told Fox 5 San Diego.
“I don’t think we have ever had that many calls in February,” he told The California Post.
He pointed to the increased amount of rain and the warmer temperatures as the reason for the rattlers’ early emergence
Avid hiker Zach West told Fox 5 he’s been climbing Cowles Mountain for 20 years and had seen “maybe one” snake over the years.
“I saw three on Monday,” he said, saying one was so large it stretched over an entire path.
“They [rattlesnakes] do not look at a calendar. They don’t know months. They don’t know the time of day,” Ireland explained. “They just know it’s nice out, let’s go out and try to find a meal, a drink of water, or a mate,” Ireland said to FOX 5.
He said reports of rattlesnake activity typically start in April run through fall if it stays warm.
“I’ve been doing snake relocation for a long time,” he said. “February is usually slow for us.”
Because rattlesnakes pack potentially deadly bites, the best advice is to leave them alone.
Officials say to listen for a rattle — the snake’s way of warning an intruders of its presence.
Most bites occur when a person tries to pick up, tease or kill a snake. Given an escape route, they will avoid you rather than strike.
Ireland’s best advice to bite victims is run away because a rattlesnake will strike again.
The reptiles’ venom is designed to kill its rodent prey, giving them “an important role in population control of small mammals such as rats and mice,” according to the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation.
“Because of the part they play in local ecosystems, they are fully protected within San Diego County Parks.”
Cort Klopping with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the the best plan is to stay alert when outdoors and stay on well-used trails. Avoid tall grass, weeds, and heavy underbrush.
Klopping said that they do warn the public that snakes are most prevalent during warmer seasons, especially between April and October.
“Snakes do enjoy being out in warmer temperatures, so any time the temperature rises is a time where increased snake activity is likely,” he told The Post. “It’s also more common for snake sightings during warm weather as people are outdoors more.”
The agency said if a person does see a snake on their property they should contact animal control.
The California Post reached out to the Department of Animal Services in San Diego County for further comment.