What about snakes? (Prescott, Chino Valley: scorpions, live in, fence)

[princesslyka]

I was just reading an article on About.com regarding snakes... After looking at the 75th picture, I am getting a bit nervous.
How often does someone encounters snakes? Do they come in the suburbs, in the gardens?
Do people get bitten often ? Saw pictures of a bite . It took nothing less than 20 operations to recover!!! Not my kind of past time...

[Zonie5]

i live out in the woods . i might see a snake maybe twice a year . in my 19 years out here i have not been even able to handle a snake as they slither away pretty fast . only snake i stay away from is the "Mojave Green" . nastiest snake around in Arizona . it is colored kind of greenish gray . if you encounter one of them . run! even those i have only met a couple of times . so i would not worry all that much about snakes . soon it will be warming up and you might see one sunning on a rock .

[Kimballette]

First, Prescott is not "the suburbs." It's a rural area.

Secondly, there are many existing threads about snakes in the Arizona general forum, as well as this one.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/presc...43-snakes.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/presc...snakes-pv.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...snakes-az.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...rs-snakes.html

[wretched wrench]

Originally Posted by Zonie5

. only snake i stay away from is the "Mojave Green" . nastiest snake around in Arizona . it is colored kind of greenish gray ..

I am very leery of all rattlers. In spring, they are all more aggressive after hibernation.

Well, not sure on the blacktail rattler. It is generally less aggressive, and I haven't seen any in early spring, so don't really know.

And, the Mojave is not always a distinctive color, so color will not always help you recognize one. Their face is different, but it is hard to describe. The tail is a giveaway, though. The white bands are much wider than the black bands, unlike the more common Western diamondback, which has even-width bands.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by wretched wrench

And, the Mojave is not always a distinctive color, so color will not always help you recognize one. Their face is different, but it is hard to describe. The tail is a giveaway, though. The white bands are much wider than the black bands, unlike the more common Western diamondback, which has even-width bands.

Two questions:
1) who wants to get THAT close to a rattler to identify its tail bands?
2) is a bite from a Mojave generally lethal? They are also found in the California desert, too, am I right?

[wretched wrench]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

Two questions:
1) who wants to get THAT close to a rattler to identify its tail bands?

It must be done outside of striking range. I should also mention that rattlers have a large sort of triangular head, which means get back. And, they cannot be relied on to rattle.

2) They are also found in the California desert, too, am I right?

Yes.

[smilinpretty]

I live in a rural area, just down the road from State Land, the only snakes I have seen on our property are golpher and garden snakes. Not to worry. Snakes only travel a mile from their den. So, if you are out hiking, chances are you will find a rattler or Mohave Green.

Honestly, since moving to Arizona 19 years ago, the only snakes I have seen are here on my property in Chino Valley over the last few years. I seen snakes (rattlers) in California many many times crossing the roads, but not here in Arizona. Not saying they are not around, but just haven't seen a rattler here in Arizona. Once we were driving in Palm Springs and a HUGE rattler crossing the road on Bob Hope Blvd.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

2) is a bite from a Mojave generally lethal? They are also found in the California desert, too, am I right?

The venom from a "Green Mohave" is classified as a "NEUROTOXIN"....and is TEN TIMES more toxic than the venom of the other 11 types of Rattlers in AZ (Which have a Venom classified as a Hemo Toxin".

If you receive a "wet bite " from a Green Mohave and don't get to a hospital within approx an hour..................you most likely "will have bought the farm".

If you have a dog and it receives a "wet bite" from a Green Mohave......it most likely will be dead within approx ten minutes.........or less.

[DellNec]

You can build a rattlesnake resistant fenced area. It requires the fence to be solid with no holes for them to get through, at least 6" deep under ground, and at least 3-4 feet tall with a tapered 30 degree top to it. Of course the tapered top is facing out/away from the protected area.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by DellNec

You can build a rattlesnake resistant fenced area. It requires the fence to be solid with no holes for them to get through, at least 6" deep under ground, and at least 3-4 feet tall with a tapered 30 degree top to it. Of course the tapered top is facing out/away from the protected area.

So are these prevalent in Prescott and PV?