Rattlesnake season is coming, and the best way to avoid bites is to avoid the reptiles altogether, a zoo expert said.

“You’ll probably hear it before you see it, and if you do, you kind of stop, freeze … give a quick scan of your environment,” said Mark Halvorsen, Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s curator of herpetology and ornithology.

Rattlesnakes should be coming out of hibernation as the weather warms, which means more encounters on hiking trails and other natural area. While the zoo has a Western Diamondback on display, Halvorsen said you are more likely to find a Northern Pacific rattlesnake in our region.

And, they generally just want to be left alone.

“They don’t want to interact with you. They’re kind of just letting you know they’re nearby and they’re out just looking for mates and for food,” Halvorsen said.

The zoo and the California Poison Control System held a demonstration last week outside the zoo’s reptile house. Hundreds of children — it is a busy time for the zoo because of field trip season — learned about rattlesnake safety.

Halvorsen suggests calling an animal removal specialist if rattlesnakes are found in agricultural areas.

He said the best course of action is to treat all snakes as if they were venomous, “because sometimes it’s hard to tell.”

“Treat all snakes with respect, stay away from them, move away from them, give them wide berth when they come across your path,” Halvorsen said.

Handing Rattlesnake Bites

Dr. Rais Vohra offered this advice for a rattlesnake bite.

“Don’t panic. Just know that great care is available in a nearby hospital. All of our hospitals in California carry antivenom, which is the definitive management for rattlesnake bite,” said Vohra, the medical director for the Fresno/Madera Division of state poison control.

Rattlesnake venom can damage tissues with time. Experts say a human has about an hour before real trouble starts.

Vohra — a man of many coats, who is still the Fresno County interim health officer— also recommends wrapping a bitten limb in a makeshift splint, using sticks and clothing if needed.

“That will help immobilize that limb, and that will keep the venom from being pumped any further away from the bite site,” he said.

Unlike Hollywood depictions, Vohra said sucking out the venom isn’t really a thing. He said cutting into the wound, and freezing or applying electricity are also bad ideas.