Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Many times I'm out walking in cooler areas near dusk thinking - the snakes must want to get out and soak up the last sun before the night. Is that stupid - are the snakes even aware that they are in for an extended period without sun, or do they just react to the current temps? I live by the beach in southern california, so the yearly weather patterns that exist other places don't really happen here to such extremes. Does this mean that I can find a snake on a warm January day just the same as a warm april day because the snakes just feel that it is a good time to be out or are they somehow aware that it is winter and they stay hidden? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts.

Thanks,

Jake

It has long been noted that ALL animals have some inner instinct about when and why to move during certain periods and not others. A very famous place in Florida is Paines Prarie were all types of water snakes and other snakes living in this habitat will migrate in huge numbers across the intersecting highway. This event , unfoutunately, is followed by their mass deaths from oncoming vehicles, but the point is that they are driven by an uknown force and move in unison.
Of course, other factors can fall into play and these movements may be of very small numbers or unbelievable masses.
But what drives a snake to move on a particular day at a particular hour? It can be derived from many stimuli; hunger, temerature preference, disturbances, illness, thirst, smell of food or danger, opposite sex interactions, etc.
Snakes are born with most of these important tools for survival. Generations of environmental interaction has brought them to this state and they are a product of perfection in their habits. That's all the "smarts" they need, their forefathers did the dirty work for them with their very lives. If it didn't work, that gene died out. And it continues today.

I think it might depend on the temperature. I found several snakes back in March but a few weeks later it got cold again and for the next few weeks the snakes were back in hiding. If its warm, they might come out to get some sun. It used to get into the 80s here late winter and then early spring get cold enough to snow again. I dont think the snakes have a problem with this short term sleeping due to changing conditions, a few weeks later, they are all active again.