Valley Springs, CA…Firefighters responded this evening in Valley Springs for a 38-year-old female who was bitten on the leg by a baby rattlesnake when she walked out the front door.

With the warm weather, snakes are out and about.
Calaveras Consolidated Firefighters recommend the following tips to help prevent a snake bite:
You can prevent snake bites by staying aware, staying safe, and being cautious. Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes and are in our communities.

Be Rattlesnake Aware
You are most likely to encounter a rattlesnake when walking, hiking, climbing, or camping. You’re likely to find rattlesnakes around rocks, shrubs, tall grasses, and brush. They like hot surfaces, and you’ll often see them sunning themselves on rocks, pavement, or trails.

Be Rattlesnake Safe
Dress appropriately. Most bites occur on the hands, feet, and ankles.
Wear good-quality hiking boots, tennis shoes, and thick socks. Ankle boots are best. Avoid sandals, open-toed shoes, or walking barefoot.

Wear long, loose-fitting pants.
Avoid sticking your hands or feet into holes, thick grasses, and other places where you can’t see snakes that may be hiding.

Use a flashlight. Flashlights can help you spot a snake on or near the trail at dusk, when snakes are most active.
Always hike with a friend.

Communicate. Carry a cell phone and make sure family and friends know where you are hiking and how long you plan to be gone.

Stay out of the way. Stay on well-used trails and avoid wandering into tall grass, underbrush, and weeds.

Be Rattlesnake Cautious
Look before you sit. Look before you leap. Watch where you sit and place your feet.
Carry a walking stick. Use the stick to whack bushes and grasses before walking on or near them.

Be careful around water. Rattlesnakes can swim. Anything resembling a long stick in the water might be a rattlesnake.

Move out of the way. If you come across a rattlesnake, calmly and quietly back up so you are out of the snake’s range (at least 5 feet). A rattlesnake’s strike distance can be up to one-third to one-half of its overall length, but don’t get close enough to measure the snake’s length.

Leave the snake alone. Avoid provoking a rattlesnake. Avoid poking, kicking, throwing rocks, or trying to annoy the snake. A threatened or scared snake is more likely to strike back, releasing extra venom.

Pay attention when camping. Check your campsite before setting up. Arrive in daylight and set up in daylight. Always check your tent and sleeping bags before climbing in. Close tent flaps when coming and going.

Be careful when collecting firewood. Piles of wood are ideal places for rattlesnakes to hide.
Watch your children. Teach your children safe behaviors, how to avoid a rattlesnake encounter, and what to do if they find a snake.

Let an adult lead. When hiking with children, an adult should always lead, and a second adult should bring up the rear.

Avoid letting your dog run freely. Dogs can die if bitten by a rattlesnake. Not surprisingly, dogs are usually bitten on the snout or head.

Avoid trying to kill or pick up a rattlesnake. A snake may be sleeping. Even dead snakes can “bite” through a reflex that closes the mouth, injecting venom.

Call 911 immediately if a rattlesnake has bitten you. Mark Twain Hospital in San Andreas is set up to treat victims of snake bites.

Source = Calaveras Consolidated Fire