About a month ago, a young girl was the victim of a rattlesnake bite in Malibu Creek State Park.
Though events like this are uncommon — this was the only such encounter that has occurred in the park this year, to the knowledge of local agencies — it has raised concerns over the prevalence of venomous snakes in the Santa Monica Mountains.
“There has been a lot more rattlesnake activity this summer — anecdotally — than in the past,” Malibu Search and Rescue Public Information Officer David Katz said. “It’s a bit unusual.”
Local rattlesnake expert Bo Slyapich, the “Rattlesnake Wrangler,” concurred with Katz’s observation.
“The thing is, with the drought, every rodent in the world is coming to our water source — sprinklers, any water fixtures — snakes call that the grocery store,” Slyapich said. “We’ve changed nature, and also as we keep building, we take away their natural predators.”
Slyapich, who operates his business of “removal, relocation and prevention” out of the Santa Monica Mountains, said there has been a notable uptick in rattlesnake sightings over the past four years.
Katz also said, while stressing he is not an expert, that perhaps temperate weather across the mountains this summer means snakes are coming out and have been more visible to visitors and residents this summer than in years past when temperatures would soar over 100 degrees.
“It’s more possible they’re coming out more in the day than they otherwise would,” Katz suggested.
Kate Kuykendall of the National Park Service said that data collected throughout the mountains has not shown a notable increase in rattlesnakes living in the mountains this season overall.
“We do have a terrestrial reptile and amphibian monitoring … So we have pitfall traps basically throughout the mountains,” Kuykendall described. “We collect data, and we haven’t specifically been analyzing that data to see if there’s an increase in rattlesnakes — and it’s certainly possible there could be and maybe the traps aren’t picking it up.
“But we do do some monitoring and we have not noticed an increase in number,” Kuykendall concluded.
Whether or not there is an overall increase in rattlesnakes in the Santa Monica Mountains, experts warn residents to be prepared in case they come across a snake.
“Rattlesnakes are just as scared of people as people are of snakes,” Katz said. “The best thing to do is just slowly walk out of the way, and not antagonize them — don’t throw a rock at them, poke them with a stick or try to move them. They can evade very quickly or attack very quickly.”
In case of a snake bite, Katz had the same advice as Sani Lang of Malibu Urgent Care: Call 911.
“They should probably go to an emergency room,” Lang said. “It’s going to be much more expensive here.” Lang said Urgent Care does not stock antivenom year-round.
“If you encounter a snake, immediately try to contact 911. Do not attempt to cut the area where the snakebite has occurred,” Katz said. “Do not try to suck out the venom. Do not use any of the commercially sold methods for allegedly assisting with a snakebite.
“The best thing to do is to immobilize the limb that has been bitten. Try not to do too much activity, so you are not circulating the venom, and to keep the limb below your heart level, so the venom is not easily working its way to the heart,” Katz said.
Slyapitch said that snake venom, as a helotoxin, causes swelling.
“You are probably going to swell. If you’re bit in lower extremities — shoes, socks, anklets, toe rings: If you wear them, take them off,” Slyapitch said. “If you are bitten in the upper extremities, you will take off rings, watches, bracelets — anything restrictive. Wait for the ambulance to show up.”
The ambulance — or helicopter — should come quickly, Katz said.
“They are survivable. If you’re bitten in Malibu, you’re going to be reached relatively quickly, either by ground crews or helicopter,” Katz said.
