SHHH. THE TIMBER RATTLERS ARE SLEEPING

As temperatures begin to cool, “cold blooded” animals begin to hibernate.  Now, here is a great time to be a scientific term snob.  A “cold blooded” animal doesn’t have cold blood.  The more accurate term is “ectotherm” (“ecto” means outside and “therm” refers to temperature).  An ectotherm gains most of their body heat from their environment.  They must use their behavior to regulate their temperature and stay active.  Therefore ectotherms, like snakes, will go to warm places like rocks or roadways at night to warm up.  They go to the shade or below ground to cool down.  In winter, they can’t stay warm enough in the Ozarks so they move to dens and hibernate.  Fall is when it starts to become too chilly for them to remain active.  Timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus – scary name right?) may hibernate for a few weeks or a few months depending upon climate.  In mountainous areas, like the Ozarks, they will use communal dens where dozens of snakes of many different species will hole up.  This brings up flash-backs from a John Wayne movie where a girl falls into a cave full of snakes… oh fudge, now I just flashed to that Indiana Jones movie… we better stop here.