Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Snakes need heat for digestion, not necessarily for feeding or capturing prey.

Consider, in the wild, it’s not always warm on the Earth’s surface. Snakes are adapted to eating under various conditions, then seeking heat to digest that food. They don’t have to have that heat 24 hrs. a day.

Let me give you an example. A couple years ago I went out to the Santa Rita Mtns. in s. AZ in the early morning, in the month of March, I believe. It was about 50*F. The sun was shining, but nothing was moving, yet, on the surface. Under some wood debris I found several cold, sleeping lizards, some of which were spiny lizards and some whiptails. Under one piece of wood I found a juvenile lyre snake. The snake was obviously very full. It likely had eaten one of the lizards it found. If the snake had remained cool like that for a day or more, it would have had problems, but the snake likely sought out a heat source in order to digest its meal. That piece of wood got a lot warmer as the day went on.

One reason I point this out is because it isn’t the first time I’ve seen these conditions. I’ve seen them in s. OH also when I lived there. Some lizard eating snakes, including kings, seek their prey during the night or wee hrs. of the morning, while it’s easy to obtain, then look for a good place to digest later on. This also could be the case with amphibian eating snakes or other types of reptile eating snakes too. I also point this out because the snakes aren’t always eating even though they may be active at 50*. If the temps don’t increase to suitable levels for digestion for days at a time the snakes will undoubtedly have to stop eating until conditions get better.

Can we relate this to a post about, “My snake won’t eat?” Possibly, depending on what the reason is the snake won’t eat. We could vary temperatures as was mentioned below. The thing is snakes are used to a variety of temps. Is it possible a drop in temps could spur activity later? I would say it’s worth a try. It’s possible some of one’s neonates are eating and others not, with the same conditions, but it doesn’t mean those conditions are optimal. You could drop the temps for weeks and that might work, but you could also drop the temps for a day or two, and that might work too.

I believe we have to keep an open mind as we are always learning…one of the great things about our hobby.

TC

On this note.....a few years ago my Dad and I went bowhunting on a cold October morning. If I remember correctly the temp was about 44-46 degrees. We found two gray rat snakes basking on limbs that lead to hollow upright trees. One of them had a fresh eaten squirrel inside(I assume it was a squirrel anyway, quite a large meal). I'm not sure when he ate the meal but he was basking in mid 40 degree weather to gather any hint of heat he could. I think the high that day was in the mid 60's. Quite interesting stuff.

Interesting. I'm sure gray rats are still actively feeding in October because they are generally from Southern states. Also, remember that it could have found a warm spot to digest, warmer than the ambient (65*, or so) air temp. I believe I was still seeing black ratsnakes in Ohio in October. I'd also bet that sometimes snakes miscalculate and take a meal before a cool spell and could end up upchucking it.

Nice dark body, thin, brown lines suggest Yuma phase Cal King?

True?

No, it's a desert king from south of Tucson, around Green Valley. Some have more black than others; this population tends to have thin light lines; and many have mostly black heads and lots of black on the ventrum. There are some populations, I know, that may intergrade with Calkings, but I think the ones from Green Valley are mostly desert king. The opposing view is that they are intergrades. Whatever, I like the color/pattern, and I think they might be somewhat smaller than ave. Calkings.

TC

>>Nice dark body, thin, brown lines suggest Yuma phase Cal King?
>>
>>True?

Sometimes an increase in moisture or humidity will help your snakes. It's pretty well known that most ratsnakes like humidity and frequent moist places. Maybe kingsnakes don't respond as well, but they seem to respond to moisture also. Sometimes I spray a little water on the aspen shavings to try to get a feeding reaction from my snakes. With babies I sometimes put them in a deli cup with some moisture on the bottom, sometimes a little layer of water, along with the meal. Gopher snakes are somewhat related to ratsnakes and may respond to moisture too, as well as being pretty cool-adapted. I've seen them in the morning as well as just before dark, and I assume they take meals in cool hours of the day.

Here's one I saw about 8:00 am last summer. It heats up fast in AZ in July

TC

I see the Mex. milks and splendidas applying that tecnique as the rule for hunting down here. Much easier to catch a cool or sleeping lizard under a rock at night when the snake's senses are heightened! By the way, Terry, great looking splendy!
Todd Hughes

Thanks, Todd. Keep us posted on those Mex. milks you find. They are pretty darn cool. That island you find them on sounds real cool too. Later....TC

>>The thing is snakes are used to a variety of temps....

I don't think this is necessarily true. If you're speaking of wild-caught snakes, absolutely. If you're speaking of captive-reared snakes raised by someone who kept them in an environment with varying temps, probably true, again. But if we're speaking of captive bred animals that have been raised in conditions with relatively stable temps, i believe those snakes are used to that, adapted to that, etc., and may fare as well or better under those conditions than under varying conditions.

As you say, it's important to keep our minds open--absolutely true--and i think this concept is another one worth factoring into these considerations.

(I bred birds for more than 20 yrs; when i started, the literature said Gouldian Finches probably wouldn't survive at temps below 60 F. That literature referred to wild-caught, imported Goulds, fresh from their native arid Australia with temps exceeding 100 F frequently and by a good margin. Ten years later, the birds were much domesticated, and i'd have babies in nests in my bird building at all times of year--and i didn't close the windows until it got into the 40s outside. California breeders (and most recenlty, a week ago, a herper in Michigan who also works with birds) report having their Goulds outside on mornings when they sometimes have to break skim ice on the water bowls. I think a lot of adaptation occurs in captivity.

>>I believe we have to keep an open mind as we are always learning…one of the great things about our hobby.

yep, couldn't agree more.

peace
terry

Terry, thanks for the post. You raise a very good point. I was talking about wild snakes. Snakes in captivity adapt to a variety of situations and environments. That's a great topic, but I'll have to get back to that later. I tend to get lengthy in response and just don't have the time right now (work is calling). To be continued in the near future

TC