These red-sided garter snakes are battling the cold of their Canadian habitat by huddling together in a den and entering hibernation
Not all snakes hibernate: snakes in tropical climates will keep on slithering through the cold season as their prey remains abundant. However, snakes in colder climates need to preserve energy through a type of hibernation called brumation, which slows down metabolic processes. They will wake to drink, but don’t need food for months.