If you have not heard of the term brumation, you are not alone? Everyone has heard of hibernation with mammals and plants. Hibernation is a state of very deep sleep to stay dormant to conserve energy until the cold season passes for animals and plants.
Hibernation lowers body temperature, slowing heartbeats and breathing, depressing the metabolism, and exerting little to no energy. Then, the body uses up the stored fats to maintain the necessary body processes and to keep the animals warm through the season. Snakes do not go into full hibernation. They enter a similar state called brumation.
What is brumation?
“Since snakes are cold-blooded animals, they will become less active in the cooler months because they will be lethargic from the cold temperatures. During the winter months, snakes and other reptiles will enter brumation. While this is similar to hibernation, brumation is different. Brumation does not require the same amount of sleep as hibernation. Yes, reptiles sleep during brumation. However, they wake and need to forage for food and water during this time. When necessary, they will go and find food and water then return to a state of brumation for longer periods. Because the snakes are using less energy, they can go much longer than usual between feedings.
Snake brumation can begin anytime from September to December and last until March or April, depending on the weather pattern. Also, snakes may come out of brumation if a warm front changes the weather, warming their blood and making them more active. Snakes will sense when the outside air is warmer or will likely notice the weather change once leaving their den to forage,” reports Rentokil Steritech.
Where do snakes go during brumation?
Snakes typically go into warm places such as dens made by other animals when they are in brumation. They will bury themselves in tree stumps, caves, and deep caverns in the wild. Survival is the primary goal. Snakes in cities and suburbs seek areas to keep warm like crawl spaces, basements, boiler rooms, garages, woodpiles, open pipes, barns, sheds, storage spaces, or even car engines to keep warm. Snakes coming out of brumation can create a potential danger for you, your employees, and your customers.
Venomous snakes in Georgia
When snakes come out of the brumation state, you want to be careful especially with the six venomous snakes in Georgia.
If you detect a snake in your space, don’t delay in reaching out to us! Please let our team of professionals help you. Don’t spend your valuable time dealing with things that we can handle for you. If you’re in any of the surrounding areas, give Proactive Pest Control a call at 770-800-PEST or 770-800-7378.
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