The photo, taken in West Texas, shows a diamond back rattler, similar to the California diamond backs found on the SLAC site. Besides diamond backs, we are home to many other kinds of snakes, including several varieties of garden snakes, King snakes and Gopher snakes, to name a few! (Photo courtesy of Rick Yeager)

SLAC and its surroundings contain a remarkable variety of wildlife that overall is willing to coexist with us.

Snakes are among the host of wild animals that can be encountered, especially as more people work outside during the warm, dry season. All snakes can bite if confronted or threatened; a few (like gopher snakes) can actually do some damage, but only rattlesnakes are actually poisonous. To avoid snakebites entirely, follow these few simple rules, especially from April through September while snakes are most active:

• If you find a snake inside a building: avoid it, warn others in the building, and call the Main Gate (Ext. 2551) for assistance. If you come across a snake outdoors, slowly and quietly move away and give it a chance to escape. A snake can strike about half its length, so if you do encounter one, walk around it, giving it at least a 6-foot gap.

• In buildings with easy access to the outdoors (such as the Klystron Gallery) avoid putting your hands into dark places without inspecting these spots first with a flashlight.

• Stay out of tall grass, underbrush, piles of logs, rocks, branches or other debris. Stick to clearings, paths and mowed areas. If you must walk through brush or tall grass, wear boots and long pants, watch your step and remember that snakes blend well into their surroundings. Shuffle your feet and make noise to announce your presence and give animals time to avoid you.

• Don’t pick up or otherwise bother any snake, even a dead one. HOWEVER: If you are out on a SLAC roadway and see a snake warming itself on the asphalt, it should be encouraged to relocate to avoid getting run over. A gentle touch to the tail with a long stick should be sufficient to get the snake moving until it is off the road.

• Don’t depend on a warning. Snakes do not always hiss and rattlesnakes do not always rattle before a strike. Ironically, non-poisonous gopher snakes have nearly perfected the art of mimicking rattlesnakes, complete with coiling, tail shaking (despite the lack of rattles), rearing back and even striking out. This purely defensive behavior misleads people into thinking it is a rattlesnake, making it a more likely candidate for extermination. If you are bitten by a snake, stay where you are and have a coworker call 9-911 for assistance. Lie down and try to keep the wound elevated. To avoid further bites, do not try to kill the snake for identification.