The child spent two nights hospitalized and received three doses of antivenom after the July 13 encounter.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A 3-year-old girl is recovering after a Southern Pacific rattlesnake hiding beneath an Amazon package bit her left hand outside her family’s Santa Clarita home, according to her family and published reports.
The bite occurred July 13 after a padded envelope was dropped over the gate into the family’s yard. The child, identified by her family as Addy, ran toward the package after learning it contained a gift for her. As she reached for the envelope, the snake struck her hand.
Addy’s mother, Lynn, quickly drove her to a nearby grocery store parking lot to meet firefighters and paramedics, her father, Manuel Barajas, told KTLA. Emergency workers transported the girl to a local hospital, where she received an initial dose of antivenom.
The hospital later transferred Addy to another medical center with a pediatric intensive care unit. She received two more doses of antivenom and remained hospitalized for two nights, according to a fundraising page created by her family. The family said she has since returned home and is continuing to recover.
Barajas was away for work when he learned about the bite and returned home to be with his daughter. He later said her spirits were high, though her hand remained bruised and she continued to ask why the snake had bitten her. No additional details about her medical prognosis were released.
The encounter came during an unusually active year for reported rattlesnake bites in California. The Los Angeles Times reported that the California Poison Control System had received 277 bite reports by midyear, close to the 290 to 390 cases typically reported during an entire year. The reporting system is voluntary, meaning the total may not include every bite.
Rais Vohra, medical director of the California Poison Control System, told the Times that prompt antivenom treatment can slow or stop further tissue damage caused by venom. The amount needed depends on factors including swelling, pain and blood test results. Many patients require hospitalization while medical teams monitor how the injury develops.
California’s main rattlesnake season generally runs from April through October, when warmer temperatures increase snake activity. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says California has seven rattlesnake species. The animals usually avoid people but may strike when surprised, threatened or unable to retreat, and they do not always rattle before biting.
The family said it launched an online fundraiser to help pay medical expenses and replace income lost while Barajas took time away from work. Addy was expected to survive, and no further hospitalization or treatment schedule had been announced as of Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated July 22, 2026.