The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network wants anyone who sees a snake on Santa Barbara beaches to call them.
What is up with the weather? First the bitter cold caused iguanas to fall from their perches in Florida, then sea turtles in Texas and Florida became cold-stunned, a yellow- bellied sea snake washed ashore in Southern California, and now, due to the floods in Montecito, Calif., a range of California-native snake species have been displaced from their winter homes and are ending up on local beaches.
The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network announced on its Facebook page that due to the flooding in the town of Montecito, a variety of native snakes, including California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula californiae), gopher snakes (Pituophis spp.) and western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox), have been washed out of their lairs where they have been brumating, and are ending up on the beaches of Santa Barbara County.
“If you find a snake on a beach, please call the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network at (805) 681-1080. Our trained volunteers will collect any misplaced wildlife, assess them for injuries, and treat and release them back into their natural habitat,” the network wrote on its Facebook page. “Thank you for your concern.”
The post, dated January 12, has been shared 2,499 times with most folks commenting their concerns for the wayward reptiles.
Some folks injected a bit of humor, but then got serious.
While others emphasized the importance these reptiles have on rodent control.
If you happen to be on the beaches of Santa Barbara county and see a snake, you can call the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network at (805) 681-1080. The organization will see to it that the snakes are cared for and then safely released back into the wild.
Due to the recent Montecito flood, a variety of snake species including gopher snakes, California king snakes, and…
Posted by Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network on Friday, January 12, 2018
