Tom Fudge: Hiking around the hills and valleys of San Diego County is one of the pleasures of living in this diverse, beautiful landscape. But, everyone knows it's good to watch your step. Rattlesnakes like the weather in San Diego just as much as people do. And, a rattlesnake bite is no laughing matter.
The warm days of summer make rattlesnakes more active. This year the number of bites is up. Not only that, but some physicians believe that local rattlesnake venom has actually become more potent. Nobody knows why that would be the case. Normally, rattlesnake bites are not fatal, but the chances of receiving a fatal bite obviously increase if the venom becomes more toxic. The most likely suspect in San Diego County, by the way, is called the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake.
Guests
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Dr. Richard Clarke, director of the division of medical toxicology at UCSD , and medical director for the California Poison Control System (CPCS) at UCSD Medical Center .
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Dr. Brad Hollingsworth,
curator of Herpetology at the
San Diego Natural History Museum
, and an adjunct professor in the
Department of Biology at SDSU
.
