California Outdoors Q&A

Rattlesnakes at High Elevation

Q: I was surprised on a recent hike in the Tahoe National Forest to see a rattlesnake since we were at about 7,500 feet in elevation. Is that unusual?

A: Based on the picture provided, that’s a western rattlesnake and it’s not unusual to see them at high elevations. There are seven species of rattlesnakes found in California and western rattlesnakes are the most widespread, found throughout the state (except in desert regions) from sea level to 11,000 feet, although they are much rarer above 7,000 feet.

Rattlesnakes use rock mounds, dense vegetation and mammal burrows for thermoregulation, cover from predators and overwintering. Rattlesnakes, like all reptiles, are ectotherms, meaning their metabolic rate and bodily functions are controlled by the temperature in the environment around them. When temperatures consistently drop below approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit, rattlesnakes go into a hibernation-like state called brumation which can last several months. Rattlesnakes living at higher elevations where it’s colder are typically smaller, due to a shortened time when they can be active and grow.

Fish Trucked to Bays

Q: Is trucking fish still necessary if the drought is over?

A: Drought conditions have played a major role in the decision to use trucks to distribute millions of hatchery-raised salmon to San Pablo and San Francisco bays. During the last multi-year drought, CDFW transported young salmon to more suitable locations due to low river flows and elevated water temperatures, which can be a lethal mixture for the fish.

CDFW salmon hatcheries have traditionally taken a diverse approach in planning strategies used to release fall-run Chinook salmon smolts. Even on the wettest of years the department will incorporate components of releases not just into the rivers next to our hatcheries, but at downstream locations like the San Pablo and San Francisco bays. Releases have also occurred into the ocean, specifically supporting our ocean harvest enhancement programs for anglers. The different tactics help reduce the risk for the overall population, if one of the groups happens to experience losses.

CDFW can track groups of hatchery origin fish as juveniles on their seaward migration and as adults in angler catch reports and when they return to their place of origin to spawn, by retrieving coded wire tags implanted at the hatchery. This data helps inform discussions on the performance of each release strategy and guide decision making on changes to release plans employed each year.

Wildlife Incident Reporting

Q: Why is it helpful to CDFW to have people fill out wildlife incident reports?

A: The Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system is helpful to CDFW as the department continues to learn about the behavior and location of wildlife through reported sightings and encounters. People reporting a wildlife incident are asked for their contact information, the date and location of the incident, the species involved and if they considered it a rare sighting. The information provided to CDFW assists the department in its mission of managing California’s diverse wildlife populations.

When reports are made about conflict with wildlife, the local biologist or human-wildlife-conflict specialist is automatically alerted so they can contact the reporting party to learn more about the incident and offer helpful solutions to preventing additional conflicts. The highest rate of incident reporting happens in late summer and early fall, but it’s not clear to CDFW if that’s when wildlife is most active or when people are more likely to be outdoors experiencing these encounters. The WIR system receives between four and six thousand reports a year with bear, coyote and mountain lion incidents being the most common.

The public is encouraged to report all their wildlife encounters via the WIR. The more people that use the reporting tool, the better and more helpful the data is. The goal of data collection is to assist the department in helping the public respond to wildlife issues. Please see the WIR page.

Rainbow trout

Q: How high can rainbow trout jump?

A: A rainbow trout can jump a maximum of about three meters or almost 10 feet. However, a more realistic day-to-day jump would be closer to 1.5 meters or about five feet. Rainbow trout are known for being fast swimmers and high jumpers. The reason they can swim so fast and jump so high is because they are very muscular and flexible. This flexibility comes from the fact that rainbow trout have many small delicate vertebrae. A rainbow trout has about 62 vertebrae, whereas a bass only has about 32. This extra flexibility allows them to use the full range of their muscles to jump over obstacles. For more fun fish facts, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Classroom Aquarium Education Program.

Rattlesnakes

Q: Are rattlesnakes aggressive or do they typically avoid confrontation?

A: Rattlesnakes are not aggressive by nature, but they will defend themselves when threatened. If left alone, they will typically move away from a threat, not toward it. If rattlesnakes are unable to escape, they typically signal advance notice of an attack by taking a defensive posture and rattling. Biting is considered last resort. Venom for a rattlesnake is meant for prey immobilization and digestion. It can take weeks for a rattlesnake to replenish after envenomation. Most bites occur when someone does not see a rattlesnake or deliberately puts themselves in harm’s way. Being aware of where you step or put your hands when in rattlesnake country is the best way to avoid being bitten.

Rattlesnakes are distributed broadly across California but are typically found in open habitats like grasslands, savanna and desert. They prefer to live in and around rock outcrops when available. When they are found in homes and yards, it’s usually along a wildland-urban interface. California residents can make their yards rattlesnake safe by removing objects that attract them and their prey. This can include keeping vegetation away from fences, removing piles of boards or rocks and repairing potential access points.

For more information visit wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Rattlesnakes.

Desert plants

Q: What is the California Desert Native Plants Act?

A: The purpose of the California Desert Native Plants Act (CDNPA) is to protect certain species of California desert native plants from unlawful harvesting on both public and privately owned lands. The CDNPA only applies within the boundaries of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. Within these counties, the CDNPA prohibits the harvest, transport, sale or possession of specific native desert plants under many circumstances unless a person has a valid permit or wood receipt, and the required tags and seals. The appropriate permits, tags and seals must be obtained from the sheriff or commissioner of the county where collecting will occur, and the county will charge a fee. More information on the CDNPA, including the species protected under the law, is available on CDFW’s website.

Recreational fisheries survey

Q: What does CDFW do with data from its recreational sport fishing surveys?

A: The California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS) was designed to meet specific management needs for all of California’s diverse recreational marine finfish fisheries and provide accurate and timely estimates of fishing effort and catch. The CRFS team depends heavily on angler cooperation for accurate survey estimates. CDFW would like to thank anglers in advance for taking the time to participate in telephone or in-person dock surveys.

There are two ways that recreational anglers can contribute to the accuracy of the data:

(1) Anglers should cooperate with the CRFS sampler conducting the interview. Please answer the CRFS interview questions truthfully. Take the time to allow the sampler to examine and measure any catch. As a result of increased sampling levels, recreational anglers, particularly those who fish frequently, are more likely to encounter CRFS samplers conducting the survey. Every fishing trip is different — different target species, success rates, different locations, different gear, etc. — so CDFW asks anglers to please complete this survey each time you are asked, even if you’ve completed it before.

(2) Say “yes” to the CRFS telephone surveyor. Licensed anglers are contacted randomly throughout the year and asked questions about their fishing habits. Data collected through this telephone survey are used to estimate fishing effort that cannot be estimated through field observations, such as night fishing and fishing from boats that depart from and return to private marinas. Personal contact information is kept confidential.

For more information visit CDFW’s California Recreational Fisheries Survey webpage.

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Crabbing regulations

Q: I have a few questions about the new trap regulations for recreational crabbing that took effect on November 1. Why the new regulations? Where can I find information about the new requirements for marker buoys, main buoys and validations?

A: We appreciate your interest in keeping up to date on recreational crabbing regulations. The new regulations are spelled out in California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, sections 29.80 and 29.85. They were adopted to address entanglement risk in the recreational fishery and to minimize interaction potential with protected whales and sea turtles. The regulations establish a validation stamp requirement, trap limit, trap service interval, new trap marking requirements, and new authority for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to temporarily limit the use of crab traps in times of increased entanglement risk. A full background report and rationale is available on the California Fish and Game Commission’s website. You can find answers to the most commonly asked questions about the new regulations on our crab fishery web page.

Hunter education

Q: I was looking for information about hunting wild pigs in California and came across a YouTube video with wildlife officers providing just the information I needed! Are there other videos like this and if so, where can I find them?

A: It sounds like you watched a recording of CDFW’s Advanced Hunter Education (AHE) webinar titled “Wild Pig Hunting on Public Lands.” This webinar is one in a series of CDFW Advanced Hunter Education webinars which launched about a year ago. Each webinar is about an hour long and focuses on a particular hunting related topic. Some of the topics covered so far include turkey hunting 101, virtual scouting and Zone D11, D13 and D15 deer hunting opportunities. You can sign up to participate in upcoming webinars at wildlife.ca.gov/Hunter-Education/Advanced. Additionally, you can view recordings of prior webinars by searching for “AHE” titled videos on CDFW’s YouTube channel.

CDFW’s R3 (which stands for recruit, retain and reactivate) program also offers a virtual seminar series called the R3 Harvest Huddle Hour (R3H3). R3H3 seminars are focused on people new to hunting, fishing, foraging and shooting sports. You can register for these events by clicking on the calendar events listed on the R3 webpage. Past recordings can be found here. You may also find resources listed under the ‘hunting’ tab useful too, like this older guide on hunting pigs (PDF) in California.

Rattlesnakes

Q: I followed the news story about the Santa Rosa resident who found dozens of rattlesnakes under his home. Should I be worried about rattlesnakes under my house? Are rattlesnakes aggressive?

A: It’s perfectly natural, and perhaps even an innate human reaction, to feel worried when hearing a story about a California resident finding so many potentially dangerous snakes so close. In general, rattlesnakes are not aggressive. They avoid conflict to the best of their ability because they don’t want to risk injury or death in a battle or to waste venom by biting something that isn’t prey. The most familiar way rattlesnakes avoid conflict is signaling their presence by rattling and taking a defensive coiled posture when a potential threat gets too close for comfort. If left alone, they will move away from the threat, not toward it. A lot of bites occur when people are trying to kill or move rattlesnakes. However, not all bites involve envenomation. They will sometimes “dry bite” as a warning. Rattlesnakes are distributed broadly across the state but are typically found in open habitats like grasslands, savanna and desert, often in and around rock outcrops when available. When they are found in homes and yards, it’s usually along a wildland-urban interface. However, coming across a den under a house like the one in Santa Rosa is incredibly rare. It’s important to recognize that rattlesnakes don’t seek out or prefer to live near people, but they will den under a home if there is an abundance of prey and if it’s the best available habitat in an area. The Santa Rosa story is a good reminder that we should be mindful of our surroundings when we spend time outdoors and around our homes, especially during warmer weather. Residents can make their yards rattlesnake safe by removing objects that attract them and their prey. This can include keeping vegetation away from fences, removing piles of boards or rocks around the home and repairing any holes in vents or other potential access points. For more information on rattlesnakes in California, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Rattlesnakes.

Media contact:
Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications