It's rattlesnake season in Arizona, where the number of bites has surged. And it turns out most of what you thought you knew about the reptiles isn't true.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a Phoenix-area venomous snake training course, the first thing students learn is that basically everything they thought they knew about rattlesnakes is a myth.
The sanctuary holds the class for the public and businesses in the spring, as rattlesnakes wake up from their winter-long naps, known in the reptile kingdom as brumation.
The trainings run through a host of rattlesnake information before teaching people how to safely grab snakes with tongs, plop them in a bucket and remove them from their homes.
Arizona saw a surge in rattlesnake bites in April, according to data provided to NPR on Wednesday by the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center.
It balled itself in knots, slithered through the tongs and, a couple of times, popped its head over the bucket and peered at the crowd.
Kelley Fox is the urban wildlife planner for Arizona’s Pinal County, and has been studying reptiles for years.
The original article contains 1,208 words, the summary contains 154 words. Saved 87%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a Phoenix-area venomous snake training course, the first thing students learn is that basically everything they thought they knew about rattlesnakes is a myth.
The sanctuary holds the class for the public and businesses in the spring, as rattlesnakes wake up from their winter-long naps, known in the reptile kingdom as brumation.
The trainings run through a host of rattlesnake information before teaching people how to safely grab snakes with tongs, plop them in a bucket and remove them from their homes.
Arizona saw a surge in rattlesnake bites in April, according to data provided to NPR on Wednesday by the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center.
It balled itself in knots, slithered through the tongs and, a couple of times, popped its head over the bucket and peered at the crowd.
Kelley Fox is the urban wildlife planner for Arizona’s Pinal County, and has been studying reptiles for years.
The original article contains 1,208 words, the summary contains 154 words. Saved 87%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!