About being active in brumtion. The point is, what is the animal doing. I fully understand, that you set them up in what you call and have called brumation. You have done it before, etc.

The point is, sometimes, they just don't do what we think they are suppose to do. Sometimes, they shed, sometimes they feed, sometimes they cycle and develop eggs and sometimes they lay eggs, all in what you call brumation.
The point is, brumation is a manmade term and more, a captive breeder term and even worse, a recipe term for folks with no experience.
The point is, its not really about the snakes. In nature, there are seasons, with two very important seasons, most colubrids in the U.S. use this approach. I feeding season, which is the period when prey is most abundant. Neonates and subadults, utilize this as long as prey is obtainable. Of course, cold, hot, and dry, can limit this. Adult breeders, time reproduction to end at the prime feeding season. Remember, there are lots of variables here. But overall its the TREND.

The reproductive season, is normally at the time of the lowest point of prey availability. In general, late fall, winter and early spring, at the times with limited prey abundance. So snakes and hogs are amoung these snakes, migrate to wintering areas with or to relocate mates, they gather in pairs, groups, dens, etc. Whether its in hill dens, hollow trees, a hole in the ground, they gather to "socialize" choose mates or attend their mate. They stay tight and near where the eggs will be deposited. In the north, there are some days, but few they can surface, in the south, they may surface commonly. This depends on usable conditions. Of course the south and mexico, it does not get cool enough to push the animals down. The non breeders can be active all winter and move and cross roads etc. And yes, we see that.
Early spring some species surface and the males heat up before the females, This is fairly normal. When the females are ready, they cycle, copulate, then deposit eggs, whats important here is, the development of ovum occurs in the winter.
Importantly, warm winters can induce early reproduction(like this year). So while there are real trends, there are also exceptions as well. The above and more is why I am not a fan of those terms like hibernation or brumation. As they are very very loose and can mislead keepers or herpers.
Again, if brumation is a term for lack of activity, you must define what that activity is, because, in reality, Hogs here stay underground until the eggs are laid. That's the trend on average years. They stay down not because of temps, but because its too dry.
Lastly down is a weird term as hogs live in the ground and really only use the surface to move from suitable digging to suitable digging. The vast majority of their lifes and their life events are in the ground. Again, that's with hogs here. Best wishes

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