Small rattlers a big problem

I want to compliment Nancy Needham on her article in the May 31 Thousand Oaks Acorn about this season's rattlesnakes.

However, in talking about the danger of the little ones, it might have been well to mention that they do not rattle.

In recent years--this one the worst by far--those of us on Truett Circle where it backs up to the open space and Wildwood Park have seen an uncommon number of the little rattlers.

In 21 years, we have had 16 or 17 snakes on our property. The next-door neighbors had one near the front porch in late March, we had one a week later in April, and we both had a second in May.

We lost a little dachshund to our snake No. 2, and I called in the Rattlesnake Wrangler (Bo Slyapich) to survey the property, look for nests/snakes/vulnerable spots/etc. He's an expert in the field, giving helpful, rational tips on securing the yards and the habits of snakes. He removed a midsized rattler from the backyard of the other next-door neighbor while surveying their property the same day.

A CBS/KCAL news team wanted to interview him, and he arranged to have the filming done at our house on the following day. Coincidentally, when the cameraman got out of the news van, he looked down in the gutter and found one by our neighbor's mailbox. Of course, that turned into the lead into the story.

Later on, we learned that a half-block away on the nonwild side of the street, a small rattler had actually slithered under the spaced-out screen door and gotten into the entry hall. So that makes seven within a seven-house range so far, not to mention a dead one in the middle of the next street previously cited.

We learned from "Wrangler Bo" that if you can get your pinkie finger through a hole, they can get through.

I was glad to see your awareness article.
Cathy Way
Thousand Oaks