Venomous Snake Bites NorCal Hiker

Reports of rattle snakes appear to be up in the Bay Area this spring.

A hiker exploring Pinnacles National Monument was bitten by a poisonous snake, park officials told KSBW Wednesday. The ranger did not say what kind of snake it was but rattlesnakes are common in the park. 

The snake bit the female hiker's hand while she was walking through an area called Jawbone Canyon on the west side of the park, KSBW reported.

An air ambulance flew the victim to a hospital in Salinas where she was treated for venom poison.

Pinnacles National Monument is a popular park for caving, hiking and wildflower enthusiasts.

It is set along the Gabilan Mountains and is the remains of an ancient volcano. The area consists of huge rocks, spires and sheer-walled canyons that were formed by movement in the earth's tectonic plate.

Little known fact about the park: Pinnacles National Monument has the greatest number of bee species per unit area of any place ever studied. The roughly 400 bee species are mostly solitary; they don't live in hives.

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