Warning: Fire Department Says Venomous Rattlesnakes are Calling Pool Noodles ‘Home for the Summer’
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.25.18
Sorry to scare you during your months of summer relaxation, but a fire department in Arizona issued a warning to pool goers to watch out for rattlesnakes calling pool noodles home for the summer.
When the family in Buckeye, Arizona hit the pool for a day of summer fun, the last thing they expected to find was deadly rattlesnakes making home inside their flotation devices.
According to the City of Buckeye Fire Department, “the snake did not attack, but was concerned about the pool noodles as there were a couple of young rattlesnakes who were still inside.”
The fire department offered this piece of advice should you come into contact with rattlesnakes:
“One of the worst things you can do when coming across a rattlesnake is to start panicking.
Snakes rely on vibrations in the ground to determine where you are. If you start moving fast and abruptly, you’ll only scare the snake more. If you’ve seen the snake before you came across it, give it a lot of space. You can easily walk around it without frightening it. Just keep in mind that rattlesnakes can coil up and strike at great lengths, so give it as much space as possible.
If the first indication of a rattlesnake’s presence is the sound of its rattle, you’ve already startled it. Instead of running, stay still. Chances are, the snake will stop rattling and slither off after it has calmed down. Humans are much bigger than snakes, so they don’t see any benefit in biting if it doesn’t need to protect itself. They’ll more than likely slither away to safety on their own.”
