Hello Friends,
We hope you are having a great summer and still finding some cooler trail time here in the hot Los Padres! LPFA recently asked a group of hikers to list things that scared them here in the Los Padres. Their list included fears such as getting lost, poison oak, ticks, gravity, water (too much and not enough), other people and wild animals. While not everyone listed the same responses, there was a clear winner when it came to the one thing that most people are scared of here in the Los Padres…… RATTLESNAKES!
The fear of snakes, known as ophidiophobia, is certainly not unique to the Los Padres and is actually one of the more common human fears known across the world. Rattlesnake encounters can be very scary; and for good reason as their bites can be deadly. We should all have a little fear and a lot of respect for our Los Padres rattlers. For those of us who regularly venture into the forest, rattlesnake sightings are a fairly common occurrence and should be expected just about anywhere in the Los Padres during the snake season of April – October.
While encounters are common, there remain a lot of myths and information about rattlesnakes that most people might now know. With that in mind, the LPFA recently hosted three online events designed to help educate forest-users about our local rattlesnake population. Hopefully, these videos will help you learn a little more about how to avoid rattlesnake encounters and what to do in case a bite does occur. Enjoy the videos and stay safe everyone…….
Sincerely, The LPFA Team
Our first video is an online webinar filmed about a year ago with Dr. Emily Taylor from Central Coast Snake Services. This video focuses on learning about rattlesnakes and busting myths.
The second video was filmed in June 2022 and is an interview with a friend of the LPFA who was bit by a rattlesnake while exploring off-trail deep within the Sespe Wilderness.
And our final video is once again with Dr. Emily Taylor as she shares how to keep your dog safe while exploring in snake country.