By admin 
Rattlesnakes seem to be having a moment in Folsom.
Photos of snakes in backyards, along trails and near construction sites have been popping up on social media, while police say they have received more than 60% more snake-related calls this summer than last summer.
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But the increase in sightings doesn’t necessarily mean the rattlesnake population has grown, according to local experts. Weather, development and heightened public awareness have all contributed to the increase in sightings, they said.
Between June 1 and Aug. 11, Folsom police received more than 64 calls about snakes, according to a department spokesperson. During the same period last year, only 40 calls came in. The department does not classify its calls by snake type, the spokesperson said.
Tyler Young, the founder of Placer Snake Removal, said he has noticed an increase in removal requests over the past few weeks, from one or two snakes a day to three or four a day.
It’s normal for those numbers to fluctuate, according to Young. Snakes tend to be more active under certain weather conditions, including the cloudy days and warm nights Folsom experienced this summer, he said.
“You’ll see a big boost in the evening, right when the sun goes down,” Young explained in an interview. “The snakes don’t have to worry about getting cooked by the sun. They’ll crawl out of the woodwork to go take care of their errands and travel from point A to point B.”
Snakes have also been healthier and stronger this summer thanks to last winter’s above-average precipitation, which fueled increases in vegetation and prey, Young said. Healthier snakes are more likely to venture farther to explore new areas, including those occupied by humans.
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Jacob Molieri, another snake removal expert in Northern California, had a different theory for the increase in reports.
Snake sightings lead to other snake sightings, he said in an interview. People tend to be more observant after seeing social media posts or news reports about snake encounters or bites.
Recent construction in Folsom has also contributed to the rise, said Molieri, who founded Snakeout, a removal service. As new developments spread into formerly undeveloped areas, snakes are being spotted more often.
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“Snakes don’t understand the concept of fences and property lines,” he said. “These snakes get pushed out of a place once the habitat gets developed. … They then come back to a place that they used to know.”
As Folsom continues to develop, it’s important to balance human safety concerns with wildlife conservation, Molieri said.
Rattlesnakes fill an important niche in the area’s ecosystem by targeting prey that other predators cannot access. “It’s kind of hard for an owl to go six feet down a gopher hole,” he said.
That ability helps address problems that humans create, including growing rodent populations in developed areas. Rattlesnakes also help prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by rodents, including hantavirus.
And most of the time, rattlesnakes do not pose a serious threat. “They’re very docile,” Molieri said. “They can get provoked, but they’re never going to chase you.”
The most vulnerable populations are children, older adults with cognitive disorders and pets, he said. To keep them safe, he recommended supervising children outside and making sure older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia do not accidentally leave doors open.
Dog owners also should make sure their pets are leashed and do not run too far ahead, Molieri said.
“The one thing we tell everyone is if you see a snake and you back up, your bite chance percentage is zero.”
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