Rattlesnake in Upper Chula Vista

Para: Asociación de Colonos del Fraccionamiento Chula Vista de Chapala A.C.
Asunto: rattlesnake


Yesterday my gardener caught and killed a large (almost a meter) rattlesnake in our garden in Upper Chula Vista. An arroyo flows through our garden, and he thought perhaps it had been swept down by the rain. However, he found it about 20 feet up a slope from the arroyo, in a drainage tube in a stone wall. It has a bulge near the tail end which suggests it was about to give birth. They can produce 8 or 10 live babies. It is called a vibora cascabel in Spanish. Their bite can be fatal. I have not yet found out if there is any anti-snake venom available locally. Be careful, and warn your gardener. Most bites occur when the snakes are threatened or attacked - the rattle is a warning to stay away.

Wow, first time I've heard about rattlesnakes a round here.

Yes, they are in the mountainsides. I think it was last year that one managed to cross the highway to Chapalas Haciendas 2. The mother snake killed two dogs, two baby rattlers crawled into the householder's bed, and she was bitten twice on the arm. No medical problems, but a nasty memory. The University came out to study the incident, and now the whole mountainside is posted as a serpiente refugio. You are not allowed to kill or remove any snakes. I am pretty sure that Chula Vista Norte is within this ban. Cruz Roja has antivenom, but Cruz Verde in Guadalajara is the specialist. Be also aware there are brown recluse spiders here as well.

https://theguadalajarareporter.net/index.php/columns/columns/john-pint/44757-hey-there-s-a-rattler-under-my-chair-do-s-don-ts-on-finding-a-poisonous-snake-in-your-patio

I used to see them all the time when hiking up in the cerro but have never seen one in the areas with homes. That doesn´t mean that they can´t be anywhere further down.  Other people, over the years, have reported seeing them from time to time in the residential areas, so this post is not surprising.
They usually aren´t aggressive and won´t bother you if you leave them alone, just don´t step on one.

I've heard of 3 large ones found in the Raquet Club over a period of time