Well I certainly would not consider going below 0 degrees Celsius. While snakes live in areas where this temp and below are frequent, they retreat into caves and into the ground to get below the frost line, where it remains over freezing - 0 degrees Celsius.



I don't think there is too much to worry about as far as food digestion goes. That property revolves around acid based reactions which while require an Ea (Activation Temperature) the pH of the stomach acid covers this.



One thing I did just consider that I haven't seen in any care guide or point made in regards to this topic, the fecal matter that is post-digestion may gain bacterial growths if the snake, being ectothermic, does not have the necessary energy to be able to continue basic organ functions as well as deposit feces at the same time - something that is a must - in most if not all cases - for the latter to occur.



As far as a purely academic question actual food digestion shouldn't be an issue so long as the reptile does not literally freeze and die. The main issue would be the feces where bacteria can and does occasionally develop on the intestinal tract. In regards to your 50ish degrees Fahrenheit question I have seen snakes pass feces without problem in this temperature when I find a basking or hibernating (by accident) one from time to time



However in captivity such situations should be avoided from deliberate application. In the wild snakes know either by learning or instinct to properly regulate their body based on environmental conditions and as such the issue should not arise without accident. Such an example of an accident is if a and the only seasonal hibernation site was destroyed. That has the potential to kill off snakes withing given populations if they can't make due by a different means.

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