Does anyone have any information about snakes hibernating?

Question

My pet Carpet Python snake went into what i think was a hibernation state. It was pretty cold outside and he was in my jacket. then when i got home i pulled him out and he wasnt moving. I even put him under some water and he still didnt move! he was cold and was all locked up and was quite stiff. i really worked hard to get him untangled and he was sort of slowly moving. Can anyone tell me if this is normal and if they have any more info on it?

Answer 1

Snakes hibernate  and estivate to get away from the cold or heat.  When their nights are cool, they will go out in the daytime, and lay on a rock in the sun until they warm up.  In some climates, the cold will kill them so they hibernate.  Desert snakes have a different problem and need to get away from heat and dryness.   Snakes are cold-blooded and their body temperatures are about the same as the air temperature around them.  They would freeze or cook if the temperatures were too low or too high.  They adapt to the environment  around them by sleeping through the bad times.

Snakes look for caves, holes in the ground, or cracks in rocks to sleep in.  A layer of dirt on top of their den helps keep them warmer or cooler.  Dens sometimes have hundreds of hibernating snakes in them.  

When hibernating, the snake’s heartbeat slows and it needs less oxygen and energy.  Its body temperature falls and breathing slows down.  Snakes eat more food before they hibernate so that they can live on stored fat.

Answer 2

It's not hibernation - that occurs after a fairly long period of gradual cooling and lasts for several months (depends where you live and what type of snake it is)

As snakes are endothermic (require external heat to keep warm) its body was shutting down because it didn't have any warmth. This can be dangerous if your snake has fed recently (the food may rot in its gut causing blood poisoning) and it may lead to the snakes death if it is not done gradually.

Research your snake's natural climate and ensure that it is always in its enclosure with access to an adequate heat source apart from short periods when you handle it. If you do cool your snake, ensure that you reduce night temperatures gradually and even then, no lower than what your snake would be exposed to in the wild (eg an Australian Jungle carpet python would NEVER be exposed to temperatures below zero like some North American snakes and this may well kill it.)

Answer 3

that sounds more like shock than hibernation. did it come out of warm environment to go outside to cold air, inside your jacket maybe warm, but what about the inbetween change.

They dont go into hibernation quickly, its a gradual progress.