KINGSVILLE, Texas — According to Juan Salinas, an animal technician at the natural toxins research center at Texas A&M Kingsville, the western diamondback rattlesnake is native to our area.
With the extreme drought conditions in the Coastal Bend area, rattlesnakes are starting to be seen more and It's something no one wants to come across.
"Animals are looking for their water source and moving toward where the water is, so as the mice, frogs, lizards, and rats move to other places to find water, so do snakes. “ Salinas said.
They could certainly turn a day at the park into a nightmare if you aren't careful, that’s according to resident Brendaly Rios.
"You can never be too sure, something can pop up because it is very bushy, so you have to always keep watch," Rios said.
Salinas says there are some simple things you can do to protect yourself.
"If you ever do see a snake, the best thing to do is to avoid it, you can admire it from a distance but go around it, back away from it," he said.
Salinas also recommends you remove any standing water in your properties to avoid any snakes in the area.
"A lot of people keep dogs outside with their feed, so that attracts mice, so put that in a container where it is not available to rodents," he added.
