Drought Lures Rattlesnakes Into Residential Areas California’s ongoing drought is enticing venomous reptiles out of the wild and toward residential areas, says an Orange County snake remover. “This drought we’re having this year is definitely causing an increase of snakes in neighborhoods,” Dan Wells told The Epoch Times. “It’s causing snakes to be closer to water, prey, and shelter.” In June, Wells caught and relocated 47 rattlesnakes, compared to the seven snakes he captured 2020. The dry, hot weather is prompting rattlesnakes to slither down the hills and toward more moisture-rich areas such as creeks and waterways behind homes, he said. As the snakes attempt to relocate, wet areas are also increasingly popular due to their abundance of prey.