LOS ALAMOS MONITOR (New Mexico) 27 October 05 Area snakes bedding down for the winter (Carol A. Clark)
Local reptile experts say area snakes are beginning the process of bedding down in their dens for the winter.
"As the temperature chills down snakes become lethargic and go into pseudo hibernation," longtime snake expert Tom Wyant said in an interview Wednesday. "They begin denning but come up and sun themselves during the day. They go back down and warm the younger snakes in the den."
Area wildlife expert Bob Anderson said many garter and bull snake eggs are hatching right now.
"My bull snake laid about 30 eggs and about half just hatched," Anderson said. "Now we've got a lot of baby snakes."
Anderson added that every year just before it gets cold, there are a lot of snake births.
He said many of the baby snakes are going into homes and buildings.
Last week he rescued two garter snakes and a bunch of babies from Canyon School. He also rescued a bull snake on Barranca Mesa, he said.
"We had a call Tuesday from a woman in White Rock whose neighbor is afraid of snakes," Anderson said. "The lady found three baby snakes in her neighbor's home on that one day and wanted to know how to keep them from getting in because her neighbor was getting upset."
He added that they haven't received any calls on rattlesnake babies but did receive a call and rescued an adult rattler on Friday.
Wyatt explained that once the temperature drops a little lower, the snakes will go into full hibernation for the winter.
"Their metabolism will slow to the point where the snakes lose their appetites and no longer need to eat," Wyant said. "People can enjoy a snake -winter."
Anderson said calls to rescue snakes from homes and garages have dropped off significantly after one of the heaviest years in his memory of over 20 some years in the reptile retrieval business.
Anderson thinks area snake sightings actually topped his original estimate of 300 percent above normal.
"My theory for the increase is the very warm and wet spring," he said. "That made it a very good year for animals at the lower end of the food chain, which meant plenty of food for all animals. Also we didn't lose many snakes to Mother Nature so they really thrived."
Anderson and his wife Cathy own Fur and Feathers, a nonprofit animal rescue, rehabilitation and release organization. The Anderson's have volunteered to help animals for some 20 years.
Besides the unusually high number of snake sightings and rescues this year, Anderson said he also received many calls to rescue different types of animals than he normally receives.
"Normally we rescue raccoons, skunks, rabbits and squirrels," he said. "This year it has been porcupines and coyotes. We had more than 10 coyote rescues this year compared to three or four."
Wyant moved to Los Alamos in the mid 1980s from the east side of Las Cruces where he worked for the NASA Johnson Space facility.
He has worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for almost 20 years as a network design engineer in CCN-5.
"I really want people to realize that they don't need to be afraid of snakes," Wyant said. "If people don't bother them they usually leave people alone."
Wyant has handled venomous snakes for almost 25 years. He has volunteered for the Wildlife Center for 15 years.
"We got a call last week from a lady who found a 14-inch bull snake in her garage," he said. "We rescued it and will have to winter it and release it in the spring."
Wyant said there are several active volunteers who rescue snakes all over the area.
In the Los Alamos and White Rock area people needing a snake rescue can call the local dispatch that will contact a volunteer. The dispatch number is 662-8222.
People from surrounding areas can call the Wildlife Center at 753-9505.
Area snakes bedding down for the winter