Rural Mysteries of the North Fork Polygon

Snakes in a Car!

How Not to Relocate a Rattlesnake from your Front Yard to an Undisclosed Rural Wilderness Location

On June 10 we found a 3-foot long rattler on a bright green patch of lawn near Rural Mysteries Headquarters and implemented our emergency response plan:

1. Get your friend's dog to bark at the snake while you retrieve the necessary tools.
2. Toss a clear plastic storage bin over the snake.
3. Set a heavy object on the storage bin to keep the snake from escaping while you finish eating dinner.
4. Slide a piece of cardboard under the storage bin, then slide the storage bin lid under the card board.
5. Quickly pull out the card board and snap down the lid (kind of like that trick where you suddenly jerk a tablecloth out from under a table setting).
6. Flip the storage bin upright and show the snake to your family, friends, and neighbors.
7. Explain again why you're relocating the snake instead of chopping its head off with a shovel.
8. Tighten a strap around lid to make sure the snake doesn't escape in the car while driving to an undisclosed wilderness location.
9. Take the bin out of the car, remove the lid, and knock over container with a very long stick while taking lots of pictures.
10. Say goodbye to your new rattlesnake buddy while reminding yourself again why you relocated the snake instead of chopping off its head with a shovel.
    

More Information

Auburn Journal Aricle, A Creature With Bite

Snakes on a Plan

Sac Bee Article about a runner who was bit when he stopped for water in El Dorado Canyon on the Michigan Bluff to Deadwood Trail

Rattlesnake Bite First Aid

California Poison Control System Rattler Page

Rattlesnake FAQs

Rattlesnake Trivia

Are venomous snakes lurking in the ball pits at fast food restaurants?

Photographs show utility workers discovering a nest of rattlesnakes?

Rural Mysteries of the North Fork Polygon