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“Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by ALA_snake33 on February 2, 2007
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Ya’ll, I found a E. o. spiloites (Grey Rat Snake) Hibernating in one of the Strangest Places you could ask for. I was over at my Grandmothers this morning and found the Snake in a Box full of Popcorn Packing Foam, the Snake was in the Middle of the Box, and seemed to be doing fine.
Have any of you ever found a Snake Hibernating in Strange places before? If so, please tell us about it.
Be Safe Ya’ll, Happy Herping : Wally
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by Snake18 on February 2, 2007
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The closest I come to this is when I found a Pelobates fuscus (common european spade-foot toad) in the seller of a house... :)
Best regards,
Alex
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by Cro on February 2, 2007
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Wally, I have found Corn Snakes and Grey Rat Snakes hibernating inside of the insulation between the inner and outer walls of refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, and washing machines in dumps in mid-Winter in S. GA and N. FLA. You have to carry a screw driver along with you to seperate the sections.
I have also found Copperheads, Timber Rattlesnakes, Northern Pine Snakes, Black Rat Snakes, Water Snakes, and Toads hibernating inside of wood chip / sawdust mounds.
At one time, when they harvested timber in the National Forests, they would run the limbs and debris through a chipper, and create mounds of chips 10 or 15 feet high, and 40 feet in diameter. Often the mounds stayed there for years and years, and gradually decomposed. These mounds were used by many snakes to hibernate in. You would just rake or shovel the sides of the mound during the winter, and when you find a tunnel, you would follow it with a shovel or digging by hand, and find the animals hibernating about 18 to 24 inches deep inside of the mound.
Now-days, it is difficult to find these chip mounds, because someone invented chip / particle board, and most of the wood chips are hauled off to a factory to be glued together to produce a poor substitute for ply-wood. However, if you can find places where these mounds still exist, they should still be a good place to find winter-time hibernating herps.
Perhaps you could get the folks who re-cycle Christmas trees and grind them up to dump a few dozen truckloads of wood chips on your property, and set it out to attract snakes.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by agkistrodude on February 2, 2007
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I found a Black Ratsnake inside an opened bag of topsoil in a friends garage a couple of years ago. Marty
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by ALA_snake33 on February 2, 2007
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John: I also have found Corn Snakes, Rat Snakes, Kingsnakes, and Copperheads Wintering in Old Saw Dust Heaps and in Chip Heaps. In the Northern parts of Limestone Co., you will find Saw Mills that still have Old Mounds around, and in this area I have found probably 20 Copperheads Wintering. Strange how Snakes seem to make Homes out of what Man Creates, huu?
I have also found Snakes in Old Refrigerators, Washing Machines, and Dryers. Actually, I found a 5Ft. Corn Snake in an Old Fridge that set in my Shop for Years one time.
Be Safe Ya’ll, Happy Herping : Wally
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by Cro on February 2, 2007
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It might be a good research project for someone to construct waterproof plywood boxes and fill them with insulation or foam peanuts, and set them out in the Fall, to stay out for the Winter.
You could drill a few snake size access holes in them, and then check them from time to time during the winter to see if any animals decided to use them for hibernation.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: “Over Wintering In Odd Places”
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by herpboy on February 2, 2007
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John, what a great idea. If you think about it, we spend so much time putting out tin, wood, refridge., etc that the average herper will by pass the "winter" season. I believe that it would be a great project for someone to take on. You could lay out various hibernacula (I think is the term) and record the results if any over periods of time in the winter season. It could be the next spring time debris flipping herp adventure, only with various hibernacula instead of tin, and in winter. Hmmm, I just might try something...
thanks
Bryan Hudson
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