Snakes don't really hibernate, they brumate. Here's the entry from the Kingsnake glossary of commonly used terms that explains it much better than I could have...
Brumation: “cooling” a herp by lowering its temperature for usually 2 to 4 months to approximate conditions during the winter period. This is not the true hibernation of mammals. Brumation triggers the physical changes that stimulate egg production in females, sperm production in males and the breeding response necessary for successful captive propagation.
When you cool a snake, it should be left alone- not handled. They're sluggish until they come back up to temperature and if you handle them, you're warming them up. This is a period of metabolic rest, so no food (they can't digest when they're cooled and need to have a clear system before you cool them), no handling, and minimal disturbance. Wild snakes usually find a dark hole somewhere underground that will protect them from freezing temperatures. They burn very few calories during their rest because they are not active during this time. When the snakes warm back up in the spring, they begin feeding, growing, shedding, their reproductive juices start flowing, and they start looking for mates. With young or non breeding snakes, I'll usually feed them through the winter at normal temps, unless they quit feeding of their own accord.
Lora
