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Old 05-06-2008, 04:32 PM   #7 (permalink)
adamanteus
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Re: Garter snakes and generating heat...

Bears and other mammals hibernate for a comparitively short period compared to some reptiles, and survive by maintaining a raised body temperature by burning off fat reserves built up during the warmer months. When a bear comes out of hibernation it has lost a lot of body weight (due to heat production). A snake coming out of brumation will have lost very little weight. It's a different process.
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