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soon freeze to death if it attempted to pass 
through winter exposed to the deadly rigors of 
this season. So snakes hibernate to escape 
death by freezing.” 
“Is hibernation a strict necessity? Cannot a 
snake under favorable conditions live through 
winter and neither starve nor freeze?” 
“Hibernation is not a rigid law of Nature. 
Domestication removes the causes for seeking 
escape from death by starvation or freezing, and 
a snake may remain both active and healthy 
during the long term of frigid weather with 
comparatively little food. I have kept speci- 
mens during winter, housed in comfortable 
quarters, with absolutely no food, and in the 
early Spring they were active and healthy, some 
of them even shedding their skins; frequently 
during their protracted fast they were quite 
active. 
I am not aware that snakes hold any prefer- 
ance for special places in which to hibernate. 
So long as they can find shelter from the freez- 
ing cold of winter, they seem indifferent to 
special localities, I have noticed that the places 
selected in which to hibernate are generally 
sheltered from the piercing north winds. The 
snake evidently possesses an instinct that leads 
it to seek its place to hibernate out of the reach 
of killing frosts. During this hibernal torpidity 
the snake succumbs to sudden severe changes 
in the temperature. 
I have surprised snakes just awakend from 
