Spot snakes before they spot you

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When it comes to rattlesnakes, the world is divided into two groups: Those who have a healthy fear of them, and those who become completely unglued when even seeing a picture of one. I am proud to say I belong in the first group, but my paralyzing fear of mountain lions, well, I'll save that for a future column.

However you feel about them, if you have come across a rattlesnake in the wild, you most likely remember the encounter in vivid detail -- where you were, who you were with, how you reacted and what the snake did.

Since I moved to the West about 10 years ago, I have come across 11 rattlers and only once, down on Lake Mojave, did I see one try to attack. My oldest daughter, who was 12 at the time, reached up on a rocky ledge, without looking first. This startled a rattlesnake, which lurched out at her without any warning. I have never again seen my daughter fly, or felt the horror of seeing fangs come within an inch of a person's face. Not surprisingly, nine years later, she is still terrified of rattlesnakes and even gets shaky when seeing them in photos.

In snake country, "Hands and feet should never go where your eyes have not been first," said William Pratt, curator of invertebrates at UNLV's Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History.

A corollary of Pratt's first rule is: Don't step over a log or rock without looking on the other side first; step up on them and look down or over before you proceed.

Right now rattlesnakes are coming out of hibernation. They enjoy the 70- to 90-degree temperature range, so this time of year and the fall months are the most likely times to have an encounter. You might stumble upon a snake sunning itself on a boulder or in a wash. Once the sun goes down, your worries are not over; these creatures are nocturnal and hunt at night.

Learn to recognize the four rattlesnakes in our area -- the sidewinder, Mojave and speckled and Western diamondbacks. Once you learn about them, you might even enjoy seeing our other local snakes. Identifying the different types is easiest from photographs, either from a field guide like the "National Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians" or on the Internet at a site like www.desertusa.com.

Look at the unique patterns and colors, and keep in mind the adult size of each type. Of the four native species, the sidewinder is the smallest at only a couple of feet long, but the Western diamondback can grow to well over 6 feet, and the Mojave and speckled falls in between.

Since the majority of my encounters have occurred while hiking in desert washes, my theory is the bigger, the better, so I can see them before I step on one. Most of the time they have heard me coming and I watch as they slowly slither away under a bush or other shelter. Some can be more stubborn and stand their ground, in which case, I just make a very wide path around them.

Although rattlesnakes can be deadly, there is some good news. Most bites are not charged with a full dose of poison, because one fang or the other often fails to penetrate. About half of bites are dry ones, where no venom has been released. Therefore, victims have excellent chances of survival if they keep their heads and get to the nearest hospital promptly. In getting there, however, they should avoid increasing blood circulation, because that will spread the venom quicker through the body. That means the victim must not run a half-mile for help. Walk. Even better, if time and circumstance allow, bring a vehicle to the victim. Otherwise, if the person who was bitten is small enough, consider carrying him or her.

Never use the old-fashioned first-aid technique you see in Western films -- cutting the flesh and trying to suck the poison out. According to a University Medical Center spokesman, the best method is to use constriction bands, like tight Ace bandages, between the area of the bite and the heart. Do not make them as tight as a true tourniquet, which would cut off all the blood flow and possibly lead to losing the entire limb. You just want to constrict the flow somewhat.

Once you reach a hospital, most likely you will be treated with antivenin. The newest and most effective one on the market is called CroFab and at least four area hospitals have it on hand -- UMC, Boulder City and the two St. Rose hospitals in Henderson.

Do snakes swim?

Yes, according to Pratt. "They can swim and can easily go short distances in water, usually to go around an obstacle."

A few years ago while I was out on a boat on Lake Mojave, a fellow passenger noticed a rattlesnake floating in the water. He had the bright idea of scooping up the dead snake with a paddle to show us what it looked like. This snake turned out to be very much alive.

Most bites happen to people like this -- those who fool with rattlesnakes. Boulder City Hospital reported that its last rattlesnake bite was last summer, when a man picked one up in his yard and brought it to work in a bucket. Perhaps showing off that he was faster than the snake, he tried to grab it and it bit him. Leave all rattlesnakes alone; this is their home, too.

Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide," published by Stephens Press. She can be reached at Deborah@hikingthewest.com.