Thursdays at the shelter have become Thursdays and Saturdays – it’s too much fun not to go twice a week. My usual drill is cleaning cat cages, which has recently become easier with less stringent procedures (kitties don’t like the smell of bleach and Windex, it turns out). This is great because it leaves a lot more time for brushing cats and clipping their claws, getting them all buffed and fluffed before adoption.

Today there was a new wrinkle, though – L was cleaning the outdoor kennels when she looked down and saw… a Rattle Snake!!!

It’s been very hot here lately, so the snakes are out of hibernation; people with yards, hikers, anyone who is going to be outside has to be vigilant from now on, both for themselves and their pets. This snake was quietly coiled in the corner, and seemed not to be at all upset about anything.

Enter K.C., the daring Animal Control Officer. Animal Control in Apache Junction has to deal with a wide range of animal problems, well beyond the usual stray dog. Rattle snakes, for instance.  K.C. is an old hand with the snake grabber.

At one point the snake made a desultory escape attempt, but K.C. was undaunted.

There’s more than one way to catch a snake.  This method, by the way, is NOT recommended for anyone. K.C. knows snake behavior and knows exactly what he can and cannot get away with. You do not want to get bitten by a rattle snake. According to K.C. you will need a costly airlift to a hospital where you will be given about 50 vials of anti-venom, at up to $2,000 a vial. In the US a snake bite might cost you as much as $150,000.   Why is it so expensive? Evidently it does not have to be.

A rattle snake can get to be as long as 4 – 4.5′. Each year a new rattle grows on the tail. Using these guides, K.C. estimated this snake to be about  five years old. He’s a male snake, fat and happy. The snakes rattle as a warning or in alarm. Otherwise they quietly await their prey.

After capturing the snake, putting it in a bucket and securing the lid, K.C. took it to a distant wash and released it. This snake, at least, won’t end up on the menu at Rustler’s Rooste in Phoenix.

Here’s what a rattle snake in a bucket sounds like: