Caught at a Homeowner's Property in Santa Clarita
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Caught at a Homeowner's Property in Santa Clarita
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Population modeled from a 0.5 adults/acre density benchmark applied to 300,000 undeveloped SCV acres. Year-to-year values adjusted by a drought-lag factor — severe drought suppresses rodent prey; rattlesnake populations follow with a 1–2 year lag. Long-term growth reflects warming-driven active season extension and increased neonate survival (Cal Poly SLO, 2022).
Active Season Index: Rattlesnakes go dormant in cold weather, so the length of their active season is determined less by summer heat and more by how mild the winter is. The index is derived from NOAA Heating Degree Days (HDD) for LA County — a measure of annual cold exposure. As winters have grown milder, cold days have decreased, and snakes remain active for longer stretches of the year. A rising ASI means winter is shrinking.
Sources: NOAA NCEI · Biotaxa / MDPI Diversity · Cal Poly SLO (2022) · CDFW · L.A. County Dept. of Regional Planning
Santa Clarita is home to one genuinely dangerous snake and several harmless species frequently mistaken for it. Learn what's out there — and how to tell the difference.
The Southern Pacific Rattlesnake is the most dangerous snake in Santa Clarita and one of the most dangerous in North America.
Key identifiers include a triangular head, heat-sensing pit organs between the eye and nostril, vertical elliptical pupils, and keeled scales that give the body a rough, matte texture.
Not every snake you encounter is dangerous — but misidentification causes panic and unnecessary risk.
In Association With
Cary Quashen Rattlesnake Wrangling
As a community service to Santa Clarita homeowners, we have safely removed and relocated over 1,000 rattlesnakes from people's homes across the Santa Clarita Valley — and well over 120 this year alone.
Every snake is handled safely and relocated — never killed. This is the same expertise and respect for rattlesnakes that we bring to every training day.
Cary Quashen Rattlesnake Wrangling →Safe rattlesnake avoidance training requires more than a skilled dog trainer — it requires experienced professionals who handle live rattlesnakes with expertise and care. Meet the team who make our training sessions possible.
Cary is a well-known Santa Clarita Valley community leader, business owner, addiction expert, and the face of The Snake School's rattlesnake wrangling operation. With over 40 years of rattlesnake handling experience — a fascination that started when he was a little kid — and 40 years working with dogs, Cary brings decades of fluency with both species to every training day. A passionate advocate for wildlife safety and co-existence, he has made it his mission to educate families and pet owners about living safely alongside rattlesnakes in Southern California. When a rattlesnake shows up where it's not welcome, Cary is the one people call — and he handles every encounter with calm, respect for the animal, and a deep commitment to public safety.
Scott started The Snake School for Dogs™ to build the rattlesnake avoidance program he wanted to put his own dog through — one where safety, training quality, and care for the animals are all uncompromising. He has 5 years of experience handling venomous snakes alongside his father Cary on the wrangling team, plus many years working with dogs — and he runs every training day to keep it smooth, safe, and high-standard for the dogs and the snakes. Before starting The Snake School, Scott learned hands-on as part of a 2-person team across hundreds of rattlesnake avoidance training sessions. Additionally, Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University. After consulting with expert herpetologists on the matter of muzzled rattlesnakes, Scott will never handle another live muzzled rattlesnake again.
Shane is the Lead Trainer of The Snake School for Dogs and the lead instructor on every training day. Over the past six years he has trained more than 1,000 dogs in rattlesnake avoidance, with zero of those dogs reported bitten post-training. He runs a working ranch in Southern California — managing cattle, pigs, goats, and horses alongside the venomous wildlife that comes with the territory — and trains livestock guardian dogs, bringing real-world animal fluency to every encounter at the course. Shane's job is making sure the dog actually learns from the snake, and the snake stays safe doing the teaching.
Rattlesnakes aren't a "maybe" in this valley — they're a near-certainty. The numbers below are why we built this course.
Rattlesnakes estimated to live in the Santa Clarita Valley — extrapolated from undeveloped acreage and active-season density.
Dogs bitten by rattlesnakes every year in the United States — one of the most common venomous wildlife encounters in North America.
Rattlesnake bites reported in and around Santa Clarita every year — and the number that go unreported is far higher.
Sources: Cal Poly SLO (2022) · NOAA NCEI · CDFW · L.A. County Dept. of Regional Planning
Santa Clarita sits in the transition zone between the California coast and the Mojave Desert. Published scientific studies show that Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes in this area do not contain normal venom profiles. Instead, they frequently carry cocktails of their typical hemotoxic venom (destroys tissue) combined with neurotoxic venom (attacks the nervous system and causes respiratory failure) — making them potentially as deadly as the Mojave Rattlesnake.
If your dog is bitten, this is a medical emergency. Highly neurotoxic venom causes far less swelling than typical rattlesnake venom — your dog may appear fine but is in critical danger. Do not wait for symptoms to worsen. Rush your dog to an animal hospital immediately for anti-venom treatment.
Less swelling does not mean less dangerous. With neurotoxic venom, the opposite is true.
Classes fill fast. Reserve your spot today and give your dog the protection they need for every trail, backyard, and open space.
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