Wildlife Wednesday 10/16/2024

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! The recent warm sunny weather thas made reptiles extra active and many snakes have been spotted sunning themselves on the trails!

They need to catch some rays while they can, as the approaching weeks will lead to temperatures that are too cold for them. Have you ever seen a snake in the winter in Ohio, slithering through the snow? Probably not. So where do they go?

Snakes like this garter snake will enter a state of dormancy called “brumation.” Brumation is similar to hibernation in mammals, but with a few differences.

Reptiles do not build up fat stores the way mammals do for hibernation. Instead they increase the amount of glycogen (sugar) in their system, which keeps their muscles in good condition so that they are ready to move when spring comes.

Their brumation site needs to be close to water, as they will periodically get up during the winter to drink. While they do need to keep hydrated, their metabolic activity is greatly decreased causing them to move sluggishly, and they do not need to eat. In fact, if they consume too much before winter it can be dangerous because they cannot digest the food quickly in the cold and their stomach contents could rot. Some snakes brumate alone in their dens, while others such as the garter will engage in communal brumation, spending the winter in a hibernaculum with a large number of other snakes. Garter snakes are enormously social and will den together both for warmth and for the pleasant company.