dogs and rattlesnakes

Peak rattlesnake s-s-s-s-season slithering up

Photo courtesy County of San Diego

East County News Service

March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- As the marine layer thins and temperatures climb across the region, San Diego’s original residents are beginning to stir.

From the coastal sage scrub of Torrey Pines to the rocky canyons of Mission Trails Regional Park, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is officially back on the move, the County of San Diego warns.

Rattlesnake season in Southern California typically spans from March through October, but experts warn that the peak "shaking" occurs between April and June.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.