How Do Snakes Survive the Winter? A Detailed Explanation of How Snakes Overwinter

Many people have surely seen a snake, and their reaction is certainly to scream in fright, afraid of being bitten. In fact, snakes are very useful. So, how do snakes survive the winter?

1. How do snakes survive the winter?

Snakes hibernate in winter. A snake is an ectothermic animal whose body temperature changes with the air temperature; when the air temperature drops below about 13°C, it hibernates. The hibernation period is 3 months in the south, 4-6 months in the north, 7 months for the Changbai Mountain pit viper, and almost all snake species in South China do not hibernate. Before hibernating, snakes build up enough fat, and during hibernation they find an underground burrow. Snakes often hibernate in groups, and different kinds of snakes may hibernate together.

2. Are snakes oviparous or viviparous?

Snakes are both oviparous and ovoviviparous. For example, among the snakes of the family Boidae, the subfamily Boinae (7 genera and 27 species) and the subfamily Erycinae (4 genera and 14 species) are ovoviviparous, while the subfamily Pythoninae (8 genera and 33 species) is oviparous. For example, among the snakes of the family Sanziniidae, there are only 2 genera and 2 species, all oviparous. For example, among the snakes of the family Tropidophiidae, there are 4 genera and 24 species, which are ovoviviparous. For example, among the snakes of the family Xenopeltidae, there is only 1 genus and 2 species, which are oviparous, laying 6-17 eggs. For example, among the snakes of the family Acrochordidae, there is 1 genus and 2 species, which are ovoviviparous, giving birth to about 27 young each time. For example, among the snakes of the family Cylindrophiidae, there is 1 genus and 8 species, which are ovoviviparous, giving birth to 3-13 young snakes.

3. Which snakes are venomous?

Venomous snakes are snakes that can secrete a special venom; when they bite a person or animal, the venom flows out from the fangs and poisons the bitten person or animal. China has more than 40 species of venomous snakes, mostly distributed in the vast provinces south of the Yangtze River. According to their properties, they can be divided into three major categories: neurotoxins, hemotoxins, and mixed toxins.

Among them, the banded krait, the many-banded krait, sea snakes, and the white-flowered snake mainly contain neurotoxins. Vipers, sharp-nosed pit vipers, and green pit vipers mainly contain hemotoxins. Cobras, king cobras, and pit vipers mainly contain mixed toxins.