Rattlesnakes are protected under B.C.'s Wildlife Act: it is illegal to harm, kill or remove the snake from its natural habitat. They are not endangered but they are of special concern as they could disappear with the loss of their natural habitat; rattlesnakes are an important control agent as they are predators of many rodents.
Feeding time is from dusk to dawn; young rattlesnakes eat shrews, voles, and deer mice; the adults add marmots, squirrels, wood rats, young rabbits, muskrats and pocket gophers to their diet. Prey are stabbed and injected with venom, which acts to break down proteins and affects the nervous system.
Rattlesnake season is from April to September, for the rest of the year when the temperature drops, they hibernate in a den, which can be found in certain rock and cliff habitat, called hibernacula. They return year after year in the same hibernaculum that they share with other snake species; this is why it is important to preserve hibernacula as entire populations can be destroyed with the loss of one hibernaculum.
SNAKE APPEARANCE
It can be distinguished from all other B.C. snakes by its appearance: it is a stout snake with a distinctive neck and a large triangular head. It also has a rattle on the end of its tail, which makes a rattling sound used as a warning of its presence; juveniles rattlers don't make noise as their rattle is not fully developed at birth, but they are fully venomous. Rattlesnakes have rather big eyes with vertical pupils and deep pits between their nostrils and their eyes where heat-sensing cells are located.
NATURAL HABITAT
The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake is found only in the Thompson Okanagan region of B.C. Their known range extends from the U.S border in the South, East to the Kooteneys, west to Lillooet, and north to Kamloops and Cache Creek.
Their habitats are rocky terrain or grassland: in summer they live in open grasslands and any area with a high rodent population density while pregnant females will stay close to the den on rockeries (south facing cliffs or slopes that will provide them with heat and shelter); and in winter they hibernate in rock cracks or caves facing south at an elevation of 500 to 625m.
SNAKE BITE SYMPTOMS
Puncture marks, bruising and discoloration in the bite area
Pain or burning as well as swelling
Nausea, lightheadedness and numbness
Difficulty breathing
TREATMENT:
It is important to try to identify the snake (if possible) to make sure receiving the proper treatment.
In case of a rattlesnake bite, B.C. Parks recommends going to the nearest hospital to check if you need antivenin, but most of the time no venom has been injected at the time of the bite.
FIRST AID
Parks Canada suggests these following steps:
Wash the bite area with clean water and soap if available
Immobilize the affected limb to avoid accelerating the blood flow and keep it below heart level
Remove any tight clothing or jewelry around the bite site
Get medical help immediately
DO NOT apply tourniquet to the bite area as this might cut the blood flow
DO NOT make any cut or suck the venom
DO NOT apply ice on the affected area
Toronto Zoo states in its "Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Stewardship Guide" that the snakebite kits that are often available on the market are inefficient and shouldn't be used in case of a rattlesnake bite.
AVOIDING RATTLESNAKES
According to the Ministry of Environment of British Columbia, rattlesnakes are generally non-aggressive snakes. If they feel a danger, they will try to camouflage, and if it doesn't work, will try to escape. Striking is the last resort if a predator corners them or if they get injured (like being stepped on by a hiker), they will rattle their tails first, as a warning.
If you hear a rattlesnake you should stop in order to locate it. Once located, walk away unless you are too close to step away safely; in this case, stay still and leave the rattlesnake a chance to settle down and escape. When moving away, always check your surrounding, you don't want to trip on a rock or on another snake! If the snake is situated in a high-traffic hiking trail, notify the park staff or conservation officers so they can relocate the snake away from other people. Warn other trail users if you have observed a snake in a high traffic area. If you find a dead rattlesnake don't touch it, as the biting reflex remains active even when dead.
Have an emergency plan ready when hiking, camping, living or working in rattlesnake areas: access to a phone, phone numbers of emergency services (hospital, police) and the exact location where you are situated when in a remote area for easier evacuation if necessary.
If you locate a rattlesnake den: contact your local B.C. Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection for assistance.
SOLUTIONS
According to Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops:
Wear high hiking boots that cover your ankles along with long loose pants in order to protect you from bites (in case you step on a snake).
Double check before reaching something under rocks, logs or any kind of piles: there might be a snake resting.
Use a walking stick to rustle the shrubs along the trail and alert snakes of your presence.
Go hiking with one or more partners and if you bring pets with you: keep them on a leash.
