[Cazador]

I'm certainly not arguing that people should brumate every wild snake they find in their fridge and then release them. Most of the time, I argue against releasing captive snakes, but in my opinion brumation creates extenuating circumstances. Since their metabolism is slow, they're less likely to acquire diseases or suffer from marginal husbandry practices. They're also protected from predators, like cats and raccoons while they're at their most vulnerable. By keeping the snake during brumation (when it needs minimal attention), it might inspire admiration, research, and more learning about how to properly care for the species when it awakens. If not, it can be released where it was found without harm.

Of course, there are counter-arguments, including potentially introducing mites into the fridge or not knowing about some unusual requirement this species needs during the winter, but this would be a compromise between immediate release and keeping it indefinitely.

Rick