Gimme Shelter...Quick

Garter snake in January.  John Schaeffer

You never know what the new year will bring.  Today, it's a chilled, immobile garter snake found on the driveway.  It must have been lured out of hibernation by the recent sun and warmth and got stuck out in the cold when the temperature fell suddenly.  With a few minutes of indoor heat, it began to move sluggishly, proving that it was in fact alive.  Now what?  

Garter snakes, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded animals, or more properly, ectotherms.  They derive heat from their surroundings and do not manufacture it as we do.  In cold weather, they chill and their metabolism slows down.  Garter snakes are known to be very cold tolerant; they're usually the last into hibernation in late fall and first out in early spring.  Needing a shelter that will keep them from freezing, they spend the winter underground, below the frost line and often with other snakes. For more information about garter snakes in winter, visit: http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/garter_snakes_i_1.php

We always hesitate to interfere, understanding that Nature Knows Best, but in this case we couldn't leave the snake in the middle of the driveway.  With predictions of temperatures in the 20s and 30 in the coming days, we relocated it to what we hope is a more suitable, cold but frost-free dwelling for the coming cold weather.  Pleasant dreams, chilly friend.