Urban Rattlesnakes: Nuisance or Treasure?
Few creatures in America are more feared or more misunderstood than the rattlesnake. This venomous reptile still thrives in rural areas, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Western United States. Generally, the rattlesnake does not do well around areas where there is a great deal of human activity. In urban areas, the rattlesnake has been persecuted as a threat to homeowners, their children and their pets. Furthermore, road mortality decimates snake populations in areas where there is constant traffic. Bounties were once placed on the rattlesnake in many areas of the country, especially in settled areas. Although, snake management has become more enlightened, and bounties have been lifted in most areas, frightened homeowners and unobservant drivers still take a heavy toll on urban snake populations. In many cities where rattlesnakes were once present, they have been extirpated.
Urban Strongholds: Major Cities Where Rattlesnakes Still Hang On
Despite continued persecution, rattlesnakes still can be surprisingly common in some major cities. Habitat destruction has all but eradicated rattllesnake populations in many cities, but snakes still manage to escape notice in many rocky areas of big cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin and Salt Lake City. In most of these cities, snake populations manage to hold on in the face of urbanization, especially along the edges of the cities and in areas of suitable microhabitat in municipal parks and preserves. In the suburban Denver town of Aurora, prairie rattlesnakes posed enough of a threat to pets that they eventually prevailed in closing the city's dog park.
Most of the Western cities have snake populations that are still connected to broader populations that extend beyond the city limits, although the serpents may be absent from the heavily developed downtown areas. A more interesting phenomenon is cities in the Midwest and East that have isolated populations of rattlesnakes that survive in disjointed enclaves of suitable microhabitat often undetected by the humans that live nearby. Kansas City's Swope Park, for example, is home to a timber rattlesnake den that is close to the city zoo and the city's urban core. The Blue Hills Preserve minutes from downtown Boston, is home to an urban population of timber rattlesnakes as well.
The nearly endangered eastern massasagua rattlesnake has been wiped out in agricultural land throughout the Midwest, yet massasagua populations still persist in suburban Chicago and Detroit's Metro Park system. In Windsor, Ontario the snake is common in a city park that is directly adjacent to downtown Windsor and only a couple miles from downtown Detroit. The thrill of seeing a wild rattlesnake is available to adults and children who might not be able to afford plane tickets to rural hot spots like the Sonoran Desert or the Chiricahua Mountains.
Rattlesnakes as Aesthetic Treasures and Rodent Control Specialists
Rattlesnakes are unique and beautiful creatures. They are also efficient rodent hunters and can keep rat and mice populations in check in areas where they are allowed to coexist, however uneasily, with humans. In addition, they are exciting to see. Nothing quite compares to the adrenaline surge one feels when he or she is walking along and hears the telltale buzz of a startled rattlesnake in the brush. Charismatic megafauna like grizzly bears, wolves and mountain lions are worthy of preservation for their aesthetic beauty and symbolism of nature. Rattlesnakes are the charismatic megafauna of the reptile world and worthy of preservation as well.
Rattlesnake Safety: Precautions to Take in Urban Snake Territory
Snakes need not be feared, but residents of urban and suburban areas where snakes are found can reduce the risk of an unpleasant encounter by exercising common sense and caution. Rattlesnakes' peak daytime activity in most areas is early in the spring when they emerge from their dens. On some hillsides, concentrations of rattlesnakes may be exceptionally numerous near wintering den sites. Exercise caution on south facing rock outcrops, and do not lift rocks or place your hands or feet where you cannot see. Pets should be leashed in snake inhabited areas and be taught to quickly obey "leave it" commands. At night on warm summer nights, carrying a flashlight is advisable. Avoid walking barefoot; wear sturdy shoes or boots whenever possible.
Most importantly, do not handle, harass or attempt to kill a rattlesnake. Most bites occur when attempting to handle or harm a rattlesnake. If at all possible, give all snakes a wide berth and keep both yourself and the snake alive. If the snake is in an area where it must be removed (such as under the kitchen sink or in the master bedroom), call a professional to remove the snake if possible. Rattlesnakes will generally retreat or coil defensively when threatened, but they can strike if alarmed or repeatedly harassed. Over-reacting is usually a bigger danger than complacency, but taking simple precautions greatly reduces the risk of becoming a snakebite victim.
Keith Darling-Brekhus - Keith Darling-Brekhus is a political and social analyst. He has an MA in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
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