Mojave rattler found in Marine shower tent

  When Yuma Marines train in the desert, a portable shower can be a luxury - as long as it does not have a Mojave rattlesnake coiled up on the floor ready to strike unprotected toes.

  One of the slithering, highly venomous desert dwellers recently decided to make itself at home, but was quickly discovered and removed before it could sink its fangs into anyone conducting field exercises on the Barry M. Goldwater Range.

  The snake was being held in an animal terrarium in station pest controller Jerry McCluskey's office at MCAS Yuma. There was also a sidewinder in a separate terrarium, and McCluskey said he will release the snakes back into their natural habitats after the training exercises are completed.

  "The snake is between two and four years old and is 2-1/2 feet long," said McCluskey. "The Marines found the snake in the shower, which is one of the worst places because the Marines go in there with bare feet."

  But the encounter in the shower was all the more hazardous because, as McCluskey noted, "the Mojave is the deadliest of all rattlesnakes. There are two toxins from rattlesnake bites, but not all rattlesnakes can produce both of them.

  "The first is a neurotoxin and the second is a hemotoxin. One attacks the nervous system, and the second attacks the tissue and blood. Neurotoxin is the most dangerous and does not hurt as bad at the site of the bite. Mojaves can have both in their venom."

  McCluskey, who is the only pest controller on the station and is on call 24/7, said he does not mess around when it comes to catching deadly snakes.

  "I used specialized equipment to pick it up and to protect myself. I was a Navy corpsman, and whenever I had to treat snakebites, they were usually to the webbing of their hands. That means they were reaching for the snake at the time, which they always denied."

  McCluskey said it is his intention to never be bitten by a venomous snake.

  "I have never been bitten by a viper, and I don't plan on it ever happening. I will do everything in my power to keep from getting bit - and to make sure no one else gets bit either. My job is to keep our Marines healthy so they can keep us safe."

  McCluskey said this is the beginning of snake season, and during this interview Thursday, he was called out to pick up another snake cruising around the base.