Reptile & Amphibian Forums

FYI, Here we are first week into Nov. and last night I was leaving for a college basketball game, and a mohave in front of my house. Then this mourning, on the way home from the dentist, a gophersnake was just hit in the same spot.

Friday, we went out for half a day and found five snakes, 3 sonoran whipsnakes, one gophersnake and My first in the field vinesnake, which I did not touch and I found out one thing. They like to be on the otherside of the brush or trees or whatever they are in. I actually missed it. I stopped and looked, walked right by it, then after I was about six feet away, I heard it take off. I turned and saw it moving away. Number 11 for the year.

We also got envolved in a drug smuggling ring. hahahahahahahaha. Some drug smugglers got all done it, no water, and we got the border patrol to assist them. The smugglers were actually happy to get caught. How odd. They had already dropped their burlap bags and were headed back to mex. We see them all the time, and track them even more.

I did get great pics of one whipsnake. It stayed still for a while. FR

Richard Hoyer, famed for his research of rubber boas, stated on another forum that he can almost guarantee finding RBs in every month from Nov thru Feb in Oregon if temps get into the mid 50s with sunshine for a few days in each of those months. That means snakes in Winter.

Yeah, I know that RBs are known for being active in cool temps, but the point is, they are basking when conditions allow during Winter, which means "hibernation" and "brumation" do not apply very well in this case.

He has also reported seeing Cal kings and ringnecks in Dec in Nor Calif with frost still on the ground in the shade. Again, if nothing else, showing that the idea that snakes "shut down" during these times of the year is not entirely accurate.

I was the person who believed that our SW colubrids brumated all Winter. I was the person who told others that was the case. Then I saw your posts, and I started asking some folks I know who have some field experience. Turns out, when you compare notes, the facts were always there. People have found snakes in Winter, from sea level to 6000ft plus right here in So Cal. Including zonata. Maybe not in large numbers, but then again, very few people look at those times.

I'm in San Antonio Texas, and it's just now, in November, finally cool enough during the day for snakes to out. Up until last month it was too hot for anything to be out during the day unless it was first or last light.

I saw several snakes out cruising this morning, including lampropeltis, crotalus, virginia, salvadora, and masticophis.

Forky