It’s summer in California, and that means snakes. Now is the time when you’re likely to spot one basking in the middle of your favorite hiking path, or coiled up under a shady tree in your backyard.

Times staff writer Soumya Karlamangla is reporting on snakes and the people who love -- and hate -- them. A fear of snakes is the most common phobia among Americans; some scientists believe it’s encoded in our DNA.

And summer is when our convenient belief that we don’t live among snakes, our false sense of security, tends to be shaken. So share with us your most memorable experiences with snakes in California.

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