About

I , Nathan Hutcherson founded Reptile Removal in 2008. It is centered in San Diego California where I currently reside. I have had nearly two decades of field experience catching and working with reptiles and I was handling venomous Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) and Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) by the age of twelve. At the age of 21, I moved from Oklahoma to Southern California and immediately began to explore the wilderness here, systematically locating each native and introduced species of reptile and amphibian and I have a field guide in the works to this effect. This company arose from necessity after witnessing many animals needlessly slaughtered by nervous landowners and outdoor enthusiasts. I believe that reptiles are a necessary part of the ecosystem to be revered and appreciated and there are better ways to deal with nuisance or problem animals than by their extermination.

While many species of snake and lizard are found here, there are only a handful of snake species that are dangerously venomous in this area and there are no venomous lizards native here. In fact, there are only two venomous species of lizard in the world, the Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) and the Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum).  Rattlesnakes are the only native snakes in this area that a landowner should be concerned about. In Southern California there are six native rattlesnake species;  the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri), The Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus rubber), the Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchelli), the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), the Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus), and the Sidewinder Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes). Although these snakes have a painful and in some cases potentially lethal bite, these animals would rather escape than attack and if handled correctly they can be safely removed from your property and relocated to protected habitat. There are also many ways in which the population of rattlesnakes or other problematic species can be reduced and controlled without killing a single animal or negatively affecting the ecosystem.

Finding a snake or other reptile on your property or in your home can be a very alarming situation for those untrained or unfamiliar with such animals. Reptile Removal will respond to any reptile or amphibian related emergency within the service area. In addition to removing the unwanted reptile, we can search the property and remove other reptiles, devise a plan to regularly service your home or property and continually reduce the number of unwanted reptiles, and perform minor habitat alteration to make the property less desirable or in some cases incapable of supporting a large population of the reptile in question.