Sixth rattlesnake bite of the year reported near Camarillo

A person was bitten by a rattlesnake near the Santa Monica Mountains in Camarillo last weekend. That was the sixth rattlesnake bite of a human so far this year.

The victim was attending a gathering near Cal State Channel Islands, 15 miles west of Malibu, at around 4 p.m. Sunday. The university is at the very western end of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The victim was driven toward a hospital by a witness, who called 911. Paramedics met the car in the fields near Las Posas Road to provide medical assistance. The victim was last reported to have stable life signs on arrival at a hospital, where federal privacy laws take over.

Two people have been killed this year in Southern California by rattlesnakes.

Rattlers typically do not bite unless they feel threatened and need to defend themselves. But there are increased numbers of a subspecies of snake being found locally. The Southern Pacific rattlesnake has a deadlier type of poison. They are black or grey, not brown or tan.

This year has seen good rains followed by unusually warm weather. That means the rodent population is up, and snakes have good food sources and may be higher in numbers.