How to Protect Yourself Against Rattlesnakes This Summer

A deputy sheriff in Tennessee came upon an extraordinary scene earlier month — a couple was taking a nap in a public area and a rattlesnake was slithering toward them. 

The officer managed to wake the couple and tell them to not be scared. He told them to roll toward him and away from the snake. The man rolled and then ran away from the dangerous snake in a panic. 

Fortunately, no one was bitten in the incident, but it's shedding light on a phenomenon this summer. Snakes are rampant after the extraordinarily wet weather the nation has been experiencing.

Los Angeles-based rattlesnake wrangler Bo Slyapich said tha he's never seen so many snakes in all of his years of catching the reptiles.

Because there isn't a venom vaccine for humans, the best advice experts have is to stay on wide trails during summer hikes and to avoid thick brush.

"If you happen to see a snake on the trail, just back away from it. It is not going to come after you or approach you," Slyapich said. 

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, you should call 911 right away. 

Dogs are particularly vulnerable to rattlesnakes. There is a rattlesnake venom vaccine for dogs, said veterinarian Dr. Jeff Werber, but the antidote really only buys the animal some time. 

“The vaccine is not to be 100% protective,” he said. 

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