Embracing Snakes: Understanding and Appreciating These Misunderstood Creatures

When you hear the word snakes, are you afraid? I love seeing wild snakes, and I hope you will not fear them. Snakes are not dangerous unless you provoke them. Most snakes are not poisonous, and the few that are do not want to waste their poison on you. Rattle snakes, for example, will rattle their tales to warn you to back off. During winter, early spring, and late fall, snakes brumate. Brumation, the reptile version of hibernation, is when snakes stop eating, their temperature drops, and they go underground to protect themselves from the cold. Snakes are cold blooded, meaning they cannot produce their own body heat, so they sun bathe to absorb heat. That is why they brumate during winter. If you want to see them in the wild, then you should go hiking in the morning when they sun bathe, or in the afternoon when they return underground. If you encounter a snake, step back, and let it be. Snakes are rare, but sometimes, you will not see them for a couple of months. Other times, you could find two on the same hike. I love snakes, and I hope you will learn to appreciate them as I do.