Rattlesnakes a year-round threat in San Diego

By Jonathan Horn

On a recent picture-perfect Del Mar evening, resident Heather Hostetler took Kirra, her young Australian shepherd, for a walk down the bluffside paths off of Camino Del Mar and Carmel Valley road.
The walkway is easily accessible and popular for its sweeping views of the San Diego sunset.
It was during that outing the Kirra, who was on a leash, pounced into the bushes after an animal she saw. Hostettler said her dog quickly leapt back and collapsed soon after.
“She just started to crater, she started to stumble and she wouldn’t respond,” she said.
Kirra had been bitten in the neck by a rattlesnake and passed away that evening. Her symptoms progressed too fast for the anti-venom to be available in time.
“I’m still really sad, but to me I just thought how many times have I been on that path running and then somebody’s coming up the path and I’ve stepped out into the bushes, it’s at least a weekly occurrence,” Hostetler said, adding that her concern is that this well-traveled path is not somewhere people think will be risky for rattlesnakes. “If I’m hiking in Torrey Pines Reserve I’m worried about rattle snakes.”
But while sightings are most common in the springtime, San Diego’s climate lends itself to the possibility of rattlesnakes being outside year round. Snakes often take in the sun near trails because they provide the most direct access to the warmth, said Steve Vandewalle of the San Diego Fire Department.
He also said the recent El Nino wet winter has led to an increase in the rodent population, and therefore more snakes coming out to hunt.
Jim Mille of the San Diego Natural History Museum said while the reptiles are not a natural predator of human children or adults, stepping near them or provoking them will cause a self-defense reaction.
“Be careful where you walk and make sure you can know where your hands and feet are,” he said, adding that on a warm night it is good to carry a flashlight, especially if camping.
Mille said the most common species found along the San Diego coastline is the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, which also has the most potent venom of the four found in this region.
Call 911 immediately if bitten by a rattlesnake. Vandewalle said to remove all rings and bracelets since the wound will swell, and do not try to suck out the poison or cut around the bite. Saliva can cause a secondary infection and the venom is already in the lymphatic system, he said.
Vandewalle said there are 8,000 yearly reports of rattlesnake bites, with about 10 cases resulting in deaths. If you come into contact with a snake, the best thing to do is give it the right of way and keep distance.
Hostetler said she would be happy if Kirra’s story can help raise the awareness of rattlesnakes along the popular walkways above the Del Mar beaches.
“They can potentially be two feet off the path,” she said. “I’m glad it wasn’t a small child and it was literally close enough that your baby could have tried to walk around you.”