A woman was bitten on the ankle by a rattlesnake, the seventh reported bite in Ventura County.

A rattlesnake bit a woman's ankle while hiking in Ventura County, making it the seventh reported snakebite in the county this year, officials said.

A hiker was walking the Long Canyon Trail, a 2.35-mile-long trail in the Wood Ranch area of ​​Simi Valley, on Thursday afternoon.

Ventura County Fire Department officials received a 911 call at 2:40 p.m. reporting that a rattlesnake had bitten a woman on the ankle, said Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the department.

Authorities have not released the pedestrian's identity.

Firefighters were able to reach and respond to the woman on the ground and in the air.

“Whenever we have remote assistance, we also send one of our helicopters, with paramedics and other personnel to be able to rescue from a distance, if necessary,” he said.

The woman was slightly injured due to the bite, the paramedics took her to the hospital by helicopter, “they gave her the place and the desire to get her to the hospital immediately,” said Dowd. He was in stable condition.

Rattlesnake encounters in Ventura County and elsewhere in California

The latest rattlesnake bite is the seventh reported in Ventura County in six weeks, Dowd said.

“Compared from year to year, we're seeing more rattlesnakes this year than in previous years,” he said.

In 2025, the county reported a total of nine rattlesnake bites. Reports of bites have been increasing across Central and Southern California since March, a month before the typical snake season that runs from April to October.

Unseasonably warm weather at the start of the year signaled to snakes that they may leave their winter refuges in search of food and friends.

The potential for competition between outdoor enthusiasts and rattlesnakes has increased as people have started to travel in the past two months.

There were three snake-related deaths between March and April. Fatal bites have occurred in Ventura, Orange and Mendocino Counties.

In March, the California Poison Control System reported 77 calls about rattlesnake bites in the first three months of 2026. The agency has not released the latest number of calls yet.

On average, the agency receives between 290 and 390 reports of rattlesnake bites per year.

Most of the snake encounters reported by the Times have occurred on trails or in communities close to nature.

The most recent death in April occurred in a rural area in the unincorporated community of Redwood Valley in Mendocino County. The snake bit the 78-year-old woman three times, and she died two days later in the hospital.

Despite the high incidence of snake bites and associated deaths, fatal rattlesnake bites are still rare. About 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes every year, and only about five of those bites die, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Ventura County, Dowd said rattlesnake bites account for 1% of the emergency calls the department receives. A high volume of calls involves long-haul rescues due to falls that have resulted in catastrophic injuries or people experiencing cardiac arrest.

Dowd said he is not making light of the situation. The public should exercise caution when enjoying outdoor recreation areas.

“Whether or not we have a statistically significant change in the number with a significant increase, all of these calls have the potential to be a life-threatening emergency, and that's how serious it is,” Dowd said. “So taking precautions is very important.”

What to do if you see a rattlesnake

Coexistence with rattlesnakes is important as humans share outdoor spaces with snakes.

Avoid the rattlesnake, as it tries to avoid you, by staying on the designated path and being careful where you step.

If you see a rattlesnake in the wild, experts say, the best thing to do is keep your distance. Back away from the snake.

And, if you're wondering if you're within striking distance, you're pretty close, says Greg Pauly, curator of zoology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

“Give rattlesnakes at least three to four feet of space, and more for larger individuals,” he said.

During a hike, if you need to take a break from a log or rock, be sure to check it before sitting down — it could be a resting place for a snake.

If a rattlesnake bites you, call 911 immediately and the California Poison Control System hotline at (800) 222-1222 for more advice.