A sixth person has been bitten by a rattlesnake in Ventura County, southern California, in less than a month, according to local fire department officials. The victim, a man, was bitten near California State University Channel Islands on Sunday and was taken to hospital in a stable condition after receiving antivenom.
The county recorded nine rattlesnake bites in total in 2025. This year, two fatalities have occurred from rattlesnake bites in southern California: a 46-year-old woman died on 14 March after being bitten while hiking in Wildwood Regional Park, and 25-year-old Julian Hernandez died on 4 March after being bitten while biking near Quail Hill Trailhead in Orange County.
Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for Ventura County Fire Department, attributed the early surge to a warmer spring and heavy winter rains. “We have seen a warmer spring than in past years, we had heavy rains this winter, and so this is a time when snakes are typically out anyway and people are out on the trails,” he said. Unseasonably warm days in March and increased rodent populations due to rain may have also contributed.
Statewide, the California Poison Control System has reported an uptick in calls, with 77 rattlesnake bite calls in the first three months of this year, compared to a typical annual total of 200–300. Despite the increase, death from rattlesnake bites remains rare, with only about five fatalities annually out of 7,000–8,000 bites nationwide.
Dowd urged hikers to stay on marked trails, avoid tall grass and brush, wear boots and long trousers, and carry a charged phone. He advised anyone bitten to “remain calm and limit your movement” and call 911 immediately.
