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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Federal and state officials are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to take extra precautions to avoid snake bites now that summer is here.
Utah snakes usually start moving out of their hibernating sites in spring and are active this time of year.
But the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says the cool and wet June may have caused a delay in the usual pattern of snakes migrating during spring into open space among rocks and shrubs about 5,000 feet above sea level.
The most common venomous snake in Salt Lake County and western Utah is the Great Basin rattlesnake.
Officials say the best way to avoid bites is to stay away at the first sight or sound of a rattlesnake. But Utah Division of Wildlife Resources zoologist George Oliver says sometimes few people follow those guidelines.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
