Are rattlesnakes common in the San Diego suburbs? (La Mesa, Poway: house, live in)

[HappyJohn]

I'm curious if rattlesnake sightings are common or rare for people who live in the suburbs around San Diego and further out. I'm not talking about hiking way out in the mountains. I'm asking if they are occasionally in backyards or playgrounds.

Thanks.

[oddstray]

I'd say rare. Possibly closer to 'rare' than 'occasionally', but a rattlesnake in a backyard or playground almost never makes the news unless someone gets bitten. So who really knows?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

There are a lot but usually people don't even see them. You chances go up greatly if you are on the row of housing adjacent the Canyons. They just want to be left alone to hunt mice and rats and do their snake thing

[RainbowHope]

At the playgrounds there are usually signs if the area has a chance of rattlesnake sightings. From my understanding if you leave them alone they will leave you alone.

If you're asking if they are just chilling out all over the place in plain view, they're not. :-)

[HappyJohn]

I lived in Florida for a little while and snakes were everywhere. Poisonous ones were a common sighting as well. I'm guessing/hoping that it isn't the same there in the suburbs around San Diego then. (?)

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by HappyJohn

I lived in Florida for a little while and snakes were everywhere. Poisonous ones were a common sighting as well. I'm guessing/hoping that it isn't the same there in the suburbs around San Diego then. (?)

It really depends on which suburbs. You generally have to be right adjacent to open space to see them. Like, in La Mesa you'd never even think about it, but in Poway you might come across one occasionally. But even in the the areas where they'd be considered most common you're not going to just see them lying around all over the place.

[ShelbyGirl1]

We come across them occasionally,, but we live in a rural area. We are extremely careful when sticking our hands under anything and careful where we walk on the property. Our dog has gotten the a Rattlesnake vaccine.

[AADAD]

They like to rest in covered dark and cooler parts of yards like water meter boxes, sprinkler control boxes so when you reach in or the gardener does probe with a metal stick first.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I see them consistently in Rose Canyon, Tecolote Canyon and Torrey Pines.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Had a scare the other night. Went out our back door to take the pup out for the last time for the night. She is always leashed at night because of coyotes. The door leads out to a pretty good size cobblestone patio. As I stepped off the patio onto the grass, I heard a sound. It took my brain a few seconds to register it as a " rattle". I didn't know if they were out and about at night, but know the lizards all warm themselves on the patio. LOL...I circled the house and banged on the front door for my DH to let me in...no way was I going back to the back door in the dark!
I did some research and found they do hunt at night! Grrrrrreat! so now I make lots of noises whenever we go out, especially at night.