The temperatures are coming down just in time to be outside to enjoy the festivities of Halloween, but it is important not to let your guard down when it comes to creatures in the night. It is still warm enough for rattlesnakes to be out and that makes a potential dangerous situation as children all over the valley head out on the streets.

Just last week alone, the Herpetological Society reported there were seven rattlesnake bites in the valley. During a time like trick-or-treating, it makes it easy for families to come in contact with the venomous danger lurking in the dark.

Daniel Marchand, curator at the Herpetological Society in north Scottsdale says, “They know that they have to do a lot of hunting right now. The season’s coming to an end and they need to get that last meal in them, so they’re really hunting a lot.”

Marchand says now is his busiest time as he relocates snakes that get too close for comfort. “Right now, being 80, 90 degrees, we’re unseasonably warm this time of year,” he said. “They’re really active.”

On Halloween night, he strongly recommends that children and parents stay on the paved surfaces, avoid running through the neighbor’s lawn, especially if there is thick brush or a desert landscape. For houses that have decorations, it is recommend that they get rid of the slithery-looking ones.

“We’ve had snakes coiled up around the decorations and kids just thought it was fake,” he said. “They didn’t even think about it. They thought it wasn’t real and next thing you know, we’re pulling a snake from someone’s front door. So, you have to be careful.”

On a night where we are all sharing outdoor space with snakes, it is important to be cautious.