Wildlife rescue specialist Ben Nuckolls recently handles “the biggest rattlesnake I’ve ever seen” in a garden bordering the American River. Photo courtesy of Ben Nuckolls.

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - In what the Chinese zodiac calls the Year of the Snake; reptiles are keeping wildlife capture specialists busy.

Though many people fear snakes, they are as vulnerable to human ignorance as any wild animal.

“They get a bum rap,” said Ben Nuckolls, who operates the Fair Oaks-based California Wildlife Encounters organization. “In fact, they’re shy creatures. They’re as frightened of us as we are of them. People don't realize their value.”

The animal capture specialist counts many snake rescues among hundreds of missions that he has undertaken for wildlife safety since spring.

“Snakes get more active in hot weather,” Nuckolls said. “A Fair Oaks couple recently called me. They’d discovered a five-foot Northern Pacific rattlesnake in their garden near the American River. Thankfully, their instinct was not to kill it. Instead, they called me. It was the biggest rattlesnake I’ve seen. He was at least six inches in diameter and his rattle had 14 buttons. I’m guessing he was seven or more years old. I found him coiled under a cluster of bamboo shoots. The guy was so heavy, I bent my metal snake tongs lifting him. We carefully put him in a large container while we figured out where to move him. My concern was to get him to out of harm’s way. We found a safer place for him.”

Five foot long, the Northern Pacific rattlesnake visitor has a 14-button rattle. Photo courtesy of Ben Nuckolls.

Large and small, venomous or harmless, snakes play an important part in rodent control, said Nuckolls. 

“When people kill these creatures, they’re doing the community a disservice,” said Nuckolls. “Without them, our rodent population would not be in check. 2025 certainly has been the Year of the Snake for me. Not just for rattlesnakes. I’ve been called to remove gopher and king snakes from danger in several counties. They’re not venomous but they’re just as misunderstood as rattlesnakes. And they’re just as important for the ecosystem.”

Residents who find snakes that seem in danger are advised to call their county's licensed rehabilitation facility. In Sacramento County, the number is 916-965-9453.