SAN DIEGO -- Around this time every year, Bruce Ireland's phone starts ringing like mad, especially in the late afternoon on sunny days.
That's when snakes come out their hiding places to warm themselves, and sometimes the basking spots they choose are in residential backyards, sidewalks and neighborhood parks. On a recent Saturday alone, Ireland got 11 calls from frantic North County homeowners asking for his help.
Ireland, 57, heads up the Snake Wranglers, an all-volunteer group of Coastal North County snake-lovers who are on call to remove these wayward reptiles from residential neighborhoods and release them unharmed miles away in undeveloped areas. The wranglers charge nothing for their services. They "rehome" the snakes to protect them from getting killed by dogs, homeowners and law enforcement officials.
