Len Ramirez: Napa’s rattlesnake wrangler

By Tim Carl

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Len Ramirez, a seasoned rattlesnake wrangler based in Auburn, anticipates an uptick in rattlesnake encounters later this summer. With more than three decades of experience capturing and relocating snakes, Ramirez attributes the potential surge to an uncharacteristically cool, wet rainy season followed by heat spikes.

"Up to this point the snakes have been fairly inactive this year due to the cooler weather,” he said, “but I expect that to change dramatically in the coming weeks."

Video of Len Ramirez providing his prediction for summer 2023, how to protect your pets and loved ones and some history of his company, Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal - Tim Carl Video

Ramirez estimates that he captures more than 1,200 snakes on average each year. From February to October he remains on call 24/7, responding to rattlesnake sightings in the Napa Valley and throughout California. His mission is to capture and relocate these reptiles to undisclosed remote wilderness locations in Northern California, ensuring the preservation of their ecological value.

“Rattlesnakes are an important part of a healthy ecosystem,” he said, “but we also need to ensure the safety of both pets and people, too.” 

Len Ramirez, the owner of Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal, recently captured a large Pacific rattlesnake at a home in the Napa Valley - Tim Carl Photo

Do you see it?

Among Ramirez's many clients, the Napa Valley boasts some of his longest-standing relationships. In fact, I used his services from 2008 through 2014 when I operated a vineyard in the remote hills north of Calistoga.

My first encounter with Ramirez was educational. My dog, Sam, was nearly bitten by a rattler, and a local vintner friend suggested that I contact the “wrangler.” The next day Ramirez drove up in a fiery red pickup emblazoned with his logo. When he stepped out, his weathered cowboy hat, tall snake boots and long, stafflike “snake tongs” made me think I was in some kind of "Indiana Jones” movie.

After a friendly greeting it was down to business.

“Where was the encounter?” he asked.  

“It was over there,” I said, pointing to an old rotting log. “But it’s gone now.”

A tiny flicker of a smile flashed across his face.

We walked toward the log and Ramirez’s head tilted left, then right, like I’d seen my dogs do when they are looking curiously at a gopher hole. About 5 feet from the log he stopped and held his hand up.

“It’s not gone,” he said. “Do you see it?”

I looked but saw nothing but the old log, with its peeling bark and tufts of moss. I was certain the snake was gone because there was no rattling — a sound reminiscent of maracas that once heard is unforgettable. It provokes a deep-seated animal response that triggers — at least in me — an immediate desire to freeze and then flee.

“I don’t see anything,” I admitted.

A grin crept over his face, one that I’ve seen many times since.

“Please step back a safe distance,” he said as he stepped forward toward the log.

In an expert, split-second movement Ramirez had thrust the tongs into the log and was holding a 4-foot-long rattlesnake in the air, its scaly body ending in a string of interlocking flattened beads of keratin, the same strong, fibrous protein found in your fingernails, the source of the nerve-rattling sound.

Becoming a snake wrangler

Raised in Cupertino, Ramirez developed an early fascination with reptiles, particularly snakes, and even kept a 5-foot boa constrictor as a pet. Ramirez's mother worked for AT&T and wrote fiction while his father was a professor at De Anza College. Inspired by the educational focus of the popular television program "Wild Kingdom," Ramirez developed a desire to protect animals and educate people about wildlife conservation.

"I've always wanted to be of service — to promote all living things,” Ramirez said.

In an experience that portended his future, in 1985 a fire near his home forced him to relocate his boa, wrapping the snake around his neck as he rode his mountain bike frantically away from the advancing flames. When a photographer from the San Jose Mercury News snapped some photos for the next day’s paper, a light bulb went off.

After graduating Ramirez pursued a joint path of becoming a tennis pro — teaching students and playing against the likes of John McEnroe Jr. — and working as a part-time reptile removal specialist.

Today Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal serves clients throughout California and collaborates with various organizations that include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Forestry, law enforcement agencies, CAL Fire and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. His is the sole licensed, bonded and insured rattlesnake removal company in California.

150,000 pets bitten per year

Rattlesnake encounters can be dangerous, with approximately 8,000 people treated annually for venomous snake bites in the United States. While rattlesnakes account for only about 800 of those bites each year, an estimated 150,000 pets are bitten by rattlesnakes in the United States, resulting in a 5% fatality rate for pets, according to Outside Magazine.

And although there are anti-venom treatments for a pet bitten by a rattler, the treatment process is painful and expensive, costing upward of $8,000 or more by some estimates.

Aware of the risks, Ramirez emphasizes the importance of living harmoniously with rattlesnakes. He often conducts comprehensive site surveys for many of his clients, identifying potential areas of concern — rocky sections, coiled garden hoses, dark corners, woodpiles, dead leaves and branches, rotting lumber or logs — and educating residents on how to minimize risks.

With rising temperatures, Ramirez advises bringing pets indoors at night, inspecting outdoor areas before activities, and remaining vigilant during midmorning and dusk when rattlesnakes are most active.

Rattlesnakes are ectothermic and give birth to live young.

As ectothermic creatures, they rely on external sources of heat and seek optimal temperatures. Ramirez explained that snakes do not favor scorching heat, and although humans and dogs are endothermic (produce heat internally), snakes, like people, become more active when temperatures are comfortable, typically between 68° F to 85° F.

During the winter months, Pacific rattlesnakes enter a state of mild hibernation known as brumation. They seek suitable dens, such as rocky crevices or underground burrows, where they remain less active in a state of torpor. As spring arrives and temperatures increase, rattlesnakes emerge, with males engaging in intense combat for mating opportunities. Following successful courtship, females undergo a gestation period and give birth to live young in late summer or early fall.

Although most snakes are oviparous, which means they lay eggs, rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous, which means the eggs are hatched internally and females give birth to live young in late summer or early fall. These neonates are fully equipped with venomous fangs to help them hunt, grow and migrate. Over the course of several years, they increase in size, shedding their skins multiple times until they reach sexual maturity.

Given the cool, wet start to 2023, rattlesnake activity has been relatively subdued. However, as temperatures rise, snakes will compensate for lost time, with females feeding to prepare for births and both males and females building nutritional stores for the approaching winter.

“As the temperatures increase it is especially important to keep vigilant," Ramirez said. "Scan before you step; look before you reach. Things are going to get busy, and my main concern is making sure that people and pets remain safe during this critical period.”

Tim Carl is a Napa Valley based photojournalist.