California Wildlife

With the vast wilderness throughout California, anyone travelling through remote areas are likely to come across wildlife of some sort. From pesky ticks to mountain lions, the wildlife of California is as diverse as the landscape itself.

The most common problem travellers are likely to encounter are ticks. These irritating burrowing insects are the bane of many a rambling hiker and can carry Lyme disease, a nasty disease which causes fever, headache, fatigue and achiness. Initially you will find a circular red rash at the site of the bite which then expands over the course of several days. If the disease spreads, multiple rashes will develop over the body. For prevention, cover up well when outdoors in infested areas and should you notice a tick on you, remove straight ways. The bacteria spreads very slowly from a tick bite, so quick removal should prevent infection from occurring.
Should you have any doubts about tick bites, consult a park ranger for advice.

Mosquito’s present the same problem as ticks, that being annoying bites. Unlike mosquito bites in Africa, bites in California do not pose any serious medical threat, rather just an irritating itch. The best thing to do is to try and prevent an attack from occurring. Always carry an ample supply of mosquito repellent and if camping in the evening, a candle scented with citronella should help keep the nippers at bay.

Snakes are another potential threat to travellers in the desert areas of California. Should you happen to come across a snake, the best thing to do is ignore it. Chances are, the snake will ignore you back and all will be well. Rattle snakes are the most common snake to be found in the desert, and although they have something of a bad reputation for attacks, they seldom show aggression unless you have agitated them somehow.
If you do get bitten, stay calm and seek medical help as soon as possible. Remember that rattle snake bites are rarely fatal, although they may leave some rather nasty damage.
Another idea would be to carry a snake bite kit in the unlikely event you are under attack.

Mountain Lions such as pumas, panthers or cougars are now extremely rare in suburbanised parts of California. Unfortunately for the mountain lions, due to urban expansion their natural habitat is slowly being eaten into.
To avoid a potential attack from a mountain lion, try to avoid walking in the wilderness at night (although why anyone would take it upon themselves to go wandering in the woods at night is still a mystery), as this is when the mountain lions tend to hunt. Should however you find yourself face to face with a mountain lion, do not run away (easier said than done), instead try to make yourself appear larger by raising your arms above your head. If after all your efforts you are still attacked, fight back. This tends to dissuade the animal as normal prey would not put up much of a fight.

Bears are another potential threat to those travelling in the wilderness. Again as with all of the above advice, avoid an attack in the first place. Bear attacks are extremely rare and chances are the bear will be more interested in your food than you, so make sure you don’t leave any food lying about which might attract the bear to your location.