Moorpark Video Captures Rattlesnake Removal As Encounters Spike in Ventura County

City officials are reminding residents of Ventura County to stay alert as rattlesnake sightings and encounters increase during the rattlesnake season this year. 

Stressing about the importance of trained personnel in the safe removal of reptiles, the City of Moorpark shared a video on social media of a team member removing a snake from a residential property. 

In the post on X, the City of Moorpark said its Animal/Vector Control team responds to calls involving “slithery visitors” and uses safe methods to remove snakes from homes. 

What happens when you call Moorpark Animal/Vector Control with a certain slithery visitor in your back yard? We pick up those m**** snakes out of that m**** yard!

Moorpark Animal/Vector Control: (805) 517-6290
More Info: https://t.co/KQ5aHhF9El pic.twitter.com/Va4auk1rF1

— City of Moorpark (@CityofMoorpark) April 8, 2026

The post included a video of an officer handling a snake at a residential house. The officer safely caught the snake using a snake catching stick and immediately confined it inside a large bucket with a screw-on lid. 

In California, the rattlesnake season usually runs from March through October, during the warm months. The reptiles are typically seen on hiking trails across the state. 

In an advisory issued by the City of Moorpark in March 2026, the city warned that rattlesnakes are venomous and can be identified by their broad, triangular head, thick body, and the rattle at the tip of their tail. 

Rattlesnakes tend to coil and shake their tail when they feel threatened. The rattling sound is a warning to maintain distance from the reptiles, which usually bite to defend themselves. 

Rattlesnake bites can be fatal, and severe or life-threatening symptoms can occur within a few minutes or a couple of hours, according to the California Poison Control System.  

Moorpark city officials warned residents to always stay alert, especially when out in their backyards and gardens. If a snake gets wet while watering a garden, it is common to miss their rattling sound.

Rattlesnake Encounters in Tri-County Area

There has been an increasing number of rattlesnake encounters in Southern California, especially in the tri-county region, because of this year’s unusually hot weather.  

The California Poison Control System reported 77 calls of rattlesnake bites in the first three months of 2026, according to the Los Angeles Times. On average, Poison Control reports around 200 to 300 rattlesnake bites annually.

In March, a 46-year-old woman died of a rattlesnake bite in the Wildwood Regional Park area in Thousand Oaks. She was airlifted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center and died on March 19. 

On March 20, Ventura County firefighters responded to a report of a snake bite on the Wendy Trail in Newbury Park. A teenage girl was transported to Los Robles with minor injuries. 

A 25-year-old man died of a rattlesnake bite while mountain biking in Irvine in early-March 2026. 

Earlier this week, a hiker was airlifted to a hospital after she was bitten by a snake on the Cold Springs Trail near Montecito Peak. While the species of snake was not confirmed, her symptoms triggered an emergency response for a venomous snakebite, according to the Montecito Fire Department. 

What to Do if You Encounter a Rattlesnake

The City of Moorpark shared the following tips if residents encountered a rattlesnake at home: 

• Do not approach the snake, instead keep a safe distance
• Do not handle, move, or kill the snake
• If the snake is indoors, close off the area to restrict its access to other areas 
• Immediately call the Animal Control Division for safe removal of the reptile.