Don't count on hibernation to make the woods ''snakeless''
I have found rattlers in every month of the year. I have walked into the woods at day break on frosty leaves and walked out during midmorning only to get on a snake.
I don`t know for sure, but I`ve seen diamondbacks out sunnin` beside a gopher hole, when it warmed up durin` the day. This was after a night in the mid 20s. A friend of mine killed one crossin` his yard on Christmas day. It was 47 degrees.
I found a small canebrake laying under the bottom portion of a climber that was attached to a big pine tree on a very cool 39 dgree morning in washington co. . This was in Dec. a few years ago. He never got the chance to warm up And just for the record he "was attacking"!
Have found them when there was frost on the ground. Guess it didn't make it back to the hole in time. He was all coiled up and had frost on him too. Problem was it was gone when I cam back out!!!
50 degrees is the text book ansewer, but they do not go into hibernation like a bear, during the day if warm they will seek out food because of the rise in body temp, in turn they are using energy the warmer they get, they will be very sluggish at this time of year