I've been to Anza and 29 Palms 8 times and have yet to see a snake. It's all about timing. Buzzworms do their hunting during cooler hours. I did have several packrats do some folkdance on my sleeping bag and chew up a new pair of Vasque leather boots though. I got a measure of payback utilising a portion of a pack midden for a morning fire. I managed to camp there when it snowed. You haven't lived until you retreat under snowfall to the front seat of a VW bug with a 6' proff and wake up to frozen doors. About then the park ranger came around and enjoyed our fire. She complimented me for bringing fuel, as several 'guests' had been cited for using native materials. Who says a 1lb bag of fatwood and those split pine caddys from the grocery store are redundant <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Carry a hiking staff/snake stick and keep your eyes open. You'll probably trip over the same tortoise I did. If you see a Cahuilla/ Chemahuevi indian named Kenny, pass on his ethnic cactus snack. The oasis are no place for a unplanned vision quest <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> He's probably got a serious day job at the casino now anyway. Oh, needlenosed pliers if you manage to insult a cactus.