Date: 3/13/26 6:53 pm From: Linette Davenport via groups.io <littlewing250...> Subject: Re: [OrangeCountyBirding] Quail Hill rattlesnake death
Death from rattlesnake bites are very rare, and from the articles I have seen about the young mountain biker’s tragic death, he died a month after the snake bite, and the family is questioning that it was the rattlesnake bite that caused his death or if it was some fault of the hospital. That all said, here’s some advice for OC birders about rattlesnake safety.
1. If you’re going to go birding in rattlesnake habitat from March – October (maybe November if it stays very warm), i.e., out in scrubby or woody or high grassy areas as opposed to a manicured city park, wear long pants and hiking boots. At the very least, wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Don’t wear shorts and sandals. The thicker the long pants, the better.
2. Stay on the trail. Rattlesnakes on the trail are easier to see than rattlesnakes that are off the trail. If you want to move, lower your binos down for a bit and look onto the trail and the edges of the trail when you are moving. Be aware of your surroundings. This is good advice for avoiding rattlesnakes as well as poison oak, star thistle, skunks, cacti, dangerous people, etc.
3. Don’t go off the trail. If you do go off the trail, pay extra attention to where you are putting your feet and hands. Go around bushes instead of through them. Look around the edges and bottoms of boulders as well as the top of them before you climb on them.
4. Because I am often off-trail for work, I wear snake gaiters. These give me more protection so I can move more freely without constantly looking for snakes. However, these can be very expensive. So stay on the trail.
5. Don’t pick up snakes. The vast majority of snake bites occur on the hands to the elbow of human males between the ages of 15-25.
6. If you do encounter a rattlesnake, back off. Unlike many venomous snakes on the eastern half of the US, rattlesnakes are wonderful in that they give plenty of warning before they strike, and they usually back off if you also back off and give them the chance to retreat.
If you do get bit:
7. Stay calm. The slower your heart rate, the slower the venom will move through your body.
8. Get to the hospital as soon as you can. In most cases, you have plenty of time to get to a hospital or have an ambulance take you to a hospital.
9. Don’t try to suck the venom out or make a tourniquet. If you have a long bandage or gauze, you can do a tight wrap around the bite, but mostly, just go to the hospital.
10. It used to be advised that you should identify the rattlesnake that bit you, which sometimes resulted in people killing snakes to bring to the doctor. There is now a universal anti-venom for rattlesnakes available, so this is not as necessary. If you can identify the snake or take a picture of it, that is good and helpful, but likely no longer necessary.
11. Let the doctors know if you have any allergies, especially to eggs or horses, as some anti-venoms may contain ingredients that are related to these.
12. Not all hospitals have anti-venom, and even those with anti-venom aren’t always the best at treating snake bites, unfortunately. I know someone who got bit by a Mojave green rattlesnake and promptly went to a local hospital, but since there was no swelling around his bite site, they sent him home without anti-venom. However, Mojave green rattlesnakes have neurotoxins, which do not cause swelling. After he had blurred vision and didn’t feel well for a few days, we advised my friend to go to Loma Linda hospital in San Bernardino County. They are the very best at treating snake bites, and they quickly gave him anti-venom and he immediately felt better. If you are getting less than adequate care at your hospital, I recommend you go to Loma Linda hospital if you can.
Rattlesnakes are beautiful and amazing. Stay on the trail, be aware of where you’re stepping, and don’t be afraid,
Linette Davenport
Anchorage, AK, but also Barstow and Southern Cal
From: <OrangeCountyBirding...> <OrangeCountyBirding...> On Behalf Of Aaron Jones via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2026 8:03 AM
To: <OrangeCountyBirding...>
Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Quail Hill rattlesnake death
Good morning,
I came across this article reporting on a death of a biker who got bitten by a rattlesnake at Quail Hill.
I thought to share it since it’s a popular spot, and whether it warrants any discussion on the risks of rattlesnakes in that area or further afield, and what to do and not do.
The article states that he was bitten on the trailhead, rather than on the Loop (unless they’re part of the same?). It doesn’t go into details as to where on the body, whether there was delays in getting medical attention, whether he was particularly susceptible to more severe reactions, whether he was passing by the snake incidentally or provoked it.
The article does provide basic advice on what to do if a bite occurs, but not what to look or listen out for (habitat, rattling, etc) to avoid encounters.
However, since many of us do frequent the area and other areas populated by snakes, are any insights, experiences, advice, etc. on how to negotiate such situations?
There are many articles by different news sources, so an internet search will suffice to find them, and maybe there will be more details provided giving some background to the events surrounding the incident.
