SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The drought is bringing out all kinds of animals, but one has a bite you don’t want to mess with.

Len Ramirez says his rattlesnake removal business says this is one of the busiest year’s he’s seen in nearly 30 years.

And it’s only halfway done.

“We’ve made four calls today, and tonight I don’t know how many I’m going to make this evening, but it’s going to be a long evening,” he said.

A room where he keeps rattlesnakes he catches before releasing them into the wild is evidence of how busy he’s been.

“We’ve removed 72 rattlesnakes this week,” he said.

Drought conditions have kept the calls coming in from people spooked by a snake that’s way too close for comfort.

“For a lot of homeowners just moving in from the Bay Area, first-time encounter with a rattlesnake is very scary,” he said.

More snakes are coming closer to homes, something he says is likely because of the drought. People aren’t watering as much, so there isn’t water all over the ground away from homes. That leads rodents that are a food source for the snakes closer to homes in search of water.

He says pets could be most at risk if they accidentally sniff a spot a rattlesnake calls home. He also recommends keeping garage doors closed.

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