Walkers and hikers: Be vigilant this holiday weekend, rattlesnakes are also out warming their bones after the long winter.
Rattlesnakes and people are out in the same hilly spaces this Memorial Day and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPAW) officials want people to stay safe.
"Yeah, this is the time of year that people are starting to encounter rattlesnakes and it's because of the temperatures, really," said CPAW spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill. "They actually are most active from 50 degrees to 80 degrees."
Talk to people already out on the trails, and they'll tell you the snakes have been around for at least a month.
"I think people with their earphones in, they won't hear the rattles," said hiker David Blaylock. Blaylock said he saw and took a picture of the rattlesnake you see above. He spotted the snake on April 14 at Green Mountain.
Spotted nearby, Friday, several people stopped to look at a snake that looked very much like a rattlesnake. However, it was likely a Bull Snake, which bears similar markings and imitates a rattlesnake's movements. Churchill said most snakes will flee in the sight of humans. Most bites come from someone accidentally sneaking up on a snake, or someone trying to grab a rattler.
Anyone who is bitten should get medical attention immediately.
"If you are bit by a rattlesnake, the first thing you should do is call 911 and get yourself to a hospital or have people take you to a hospital," Churchill said.
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