Wrangling rattlesnakes and other critters could get new restrictions

SALT LAKE CITY — It's a chance encounter that can leave anyone rattled.

Curled up in the foyer, dozing in the garage or sandwiched in the crevices of the retaining wall, there it is.

A rattlesnake.

As the reptiles begin to emerge from months of hibernation — as they are doing now — they find their way to backyards in the Avenues, to homes along Wasatch Boulevard or residences near Camp Kostopolus.

Recommendations regarding the release of these so-called "nuisance" rattlesnakes once they are captured will be considered Thursday by the state's wildlife board.

"Up to 98 percent of these snakes have no repeat interaction," said Krissy Wilson, the state's coordinator of the native aquatic species program. "We don't want to kill the snake. Our job is to be protective of all wildlife, not just the popular ones."

The recommendations involve altering the distance the snake can be moved after its capture and are related to the volunteer work done by Reptile Rescue founder James Dix. He and his crew are registered with the state Division of Wildlife Resources and are certified to conduct reptile removals.

"We think what he is doing is a good thing," Wilson said. "A lot of people don't really care about rattlesnakes — the only good snake is a dead snake — and especially a rattlesnake. But we want to be humane and protect them."

Dix uses a menagerie of animals to educate the public about the value of protecting all species — from lumbering tortoises to assertive monitors to skittish but domesticated coyotes.

An assortment of snake cages and reptile containers are stacked high at the rescue foundation's headquarters, presenting a mixture of animals Dix has rescued over the years because they have grown too big or expensive to feed or ones he has acquired on his own.

Wilson said Dix's work — particularly with snakes — fills a critical need for the wildlife agency, augmenting its mission to protect even the most feared of creatures.

The new recommendations under consideration come from studies that have found that rattlesnakes are vulnerable if moved a long distance from their winter den, Wilson said.

"If you take a rattlesnake and move it too far away from its home range, it will circle and circle until it dies," she said.

Both Wilson and Dix say rattlesnakes are typically passive creatures that avoid people.