The most vulnerable moment of a snake

I believe many people should know that snakes hibernate, but they don't know why snakes hibernate. Hibernation can be regarded as the most vulnerable period of snakes. During hibernation, snakes are extremely "gentle" and will not attack any animals. On the contrary, they are vulnerable to threats from other animals. So why do snakes hibernate?

Snakes hibernate not out of their own will, but to adapt to the environment. As we all know, snakes are warm-blooded animals, which is what we call cold-blooded animals.

Most reptiles are warm-blooded animals. The structure and function of warm-blooded animals are primitive, and the skin lacks thermal insulation function, which can only be obtained through the natural environment. For example, bask in the sun when it is cold, and soak in water to cool down when it is hot.

Cold weather will make their bodies stiff and slow down, thus affecting their predation and survival. However, when they are overheated, there will be no sweat glands to sweat, and excessive temperature will cause damage to their organs.

Generally, when the outside temperature drops below 15℃, the snake will become a little stiff, and then start looking for a place to hibernate and spend the winter safely. Snakes usually hibernate in caves, tree holes or crevices in rocks, and many snakes even occupy the nests of small rodents.

When the ambient temperature drops to 8 ~ 6℃, the snake will stop moving and shrink itself into a ball, with its head in the middle and its tail in the periphery. When the temperature drops to 3 ~ 2℃, the snake's body will be stiff and unable to move, which is called hibernation. If the outside temperature drops below -5℃, or the snake's body temperature drops below -2℃, it is death that greets the snake.

Because of this, the distribution of snakes is also based on temperature. Take China as an example. There are fewer snakes in the cold north and more in the warm south, such as Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces in China.

In the world plate, there are also many snakes distributed in tropical Africa and Australia, including many poisonous snakes.