Tot Mauled by Rattlesnake Hiding Under Amazon Package in her Own Yard

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A heart-stopping horror unfolded in a rural Southern California backyard when a 3-year-old girl was viciously bitten by a rattlesnake lurking beneath an Amazon package dropped right over the family fence.

Little Addy Barajas excitedly dashed outside after her mom, Lynn, mentioned a padded brown envelope had arrived - a special gift just for her. As the tot reached down to snatch it up, a sneaky Southern Pacific rattlesnake hiding underneath sank its fangs into her left hand.

Her frantic mother rushed the screaming child to a nearby grocery store parking lot, where they met an ambulance. Addy was rushed to the hospital for her first dose of antivenom, then transferred to a facility with a pediatric intensive care unit. She endured two more doses and spent two terrifying days in the ICU.

"Thankfully, she's doing great now - about 70% recovered," dad Manuel Barajas told reporters. "She's still bruised on her left hand, but her spirits are high. She keeps asking why the snake bit her."

The family has launched a GoFundMe to cover mounting medical bills and lost wages while Manuel was out of town for work when the nightmare unfolded.

The close call comes as Southern California grapples with a shocking rattlesnake surge: nearly 250 bites and three fatalities reported by early July. Experts blame a March heat wave that supercharged snake activity across the Golden State.

Rattlesnakes are on the prowl - and this slithery ambush just feet from the front door has neighbors on edge.

Parents, check your yards. Amazon deliveries may come with more than you bargained for this summer.