The Rattlesnake program at Grassy Hollow this past Saturday was great. Joe Baneshek really knows his stuff. He had on display approximately a dozen live rattlesnakes of different species.
Unfortunately, our area of the Angeles National Forest hosts the most venimous Rattlesnake in the country. We don't have the Western Diamondback up here, we have the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake up here.
The problem if you get bit is, the antivenom doesn't work very well, if at all, with this species. He also said you definately want to get to Loma Linda if you've been bit by a Rattlesnake. They are the experts when it comes to Rattlesnake bites. They also have the most antivenom, whereas many hospitals don't have any at all and have to end up sending you there. Time is crucial and he talked of an individual who died because of the time delay of getting to Loma Linda from another hospital.
There have been several reported Rattlesnake bites on the trail to the Big Horn mine. Be aware and careful out there. The wet winter has produced a bumper crop of rodents and critters, thus the Rattlesnake population is up as well.
