Do Snakes Come Out In The Winter Time

Theyve been hibernating all winter he said.

Do snakes come out in the winter time. If you have large potted plants on your patio or porch that you bring inside for winter it might be worth poking around in the dirt before you bring them inside just in case. Since snakes are cold blooded animals they will become less active in the cooler months because they will be lethargic from the cold temperatures. During these times they may be too inactive to move out of the way or warn you before striking. You dont see snakes during winter because theyre all hunkered down waiting for spring.

When do snakes wake up snakes begin emerging from brumation as soon as the air temperature rises enough to heat them up. In general most snakes awaken from brumation permanently starting in early spring around the same time their prey becomes active. When they do make your crawl space a snake haven they do it on a grand scale. Some snakes even leave brumation for a few days on particularly warm and sunny winter days just to bask.

Understand snake temperamentsnakes are rather sluggish in early spring when they first come out of hibernation and in late fall when theyre getting ready to sleep again. Snakes are looking to hibernate for the winter and will often find crawl spaces to be safe warm and damp. While this is similar to hibernation brumation is different. Enticed up to the attic by prey.

In areas where temperature fluctuates during the winter season such as along coast lines if it becomes warm enough snakes will venture out on warm days to bask in the sun and to look for food. Snakes will crawl into any area free from frost such as caves hollow logs holes under trees and stumps under wood piles in other animals burrows and occasionally in a persons basement. Of course hibernation doesnt mean theyll be completely dormant for the entire winter in fact during warmer periods they will come out of their hiding place to look for food. Copperhead snakes the most prolific of the six venomous snakes found in north carolina prefer warm humid weather said beane.

Close to 100 snakes could be hibernating in a crawl space at once. Climbing snakes are usually lured into attics by the smell of rats so making sure there is no reason for a snake to want to climb into your attic is essential. Since theyre cold blooded during winter is when snakes will look for a place to stay safe and warm. During the winter months snakes and other reptiles will enter brumation.

They are largely nocturnal in hot weather and more likely to be.