Rattlesnakes are a reality in our desert home. They are also an important part of our environment. Here is a safe way of how to properly remove them should you find them in your vicinity.

---

This story was originally published in The Chronicle, a Dow Jones News Fund Diversity in Journalism Workshop publication. Ray Harper, a Bear Essential News Elite Reporter, is a student at University High School in Tucson. He was one of 12 students selected to participate in the workshop.