Question about garter snake in my yard- dead or hibernating badly???

[chris-uk]

I don't believe that she would stop and lay still part way through a shed, and that she would remain still while you pick her up and put her in a pillow case. They won't just drop into brumation in the open, in fact they will still move to drink when they are brumating.
Has she moved at all since you brought her into the house? If she hasn't I'm afraid that you have a dead garter snake in your pillow case.

[amsong]

I don't believe that she would stop and lay still part way through a shed, and that she would remain still while you pick her up and put her in a pillow case. They won't just drop into brumation in the open, in fact they will still move to drink when they are brumating.
Has she moved at all since you brought her into the house? If she hasn't I'm afraid that you have a dead garter snake in your pillow case.

I have come to the same conclusion... kind of was waiting to see if full-blown rigor mortis would confirm. She is cold and still. Odd, how it is usually easy to tell if an animal has died, but she really threw me... her eyes look completely normal, there are no marks or injuries and the fresh scales as she sheds are stunningly radiant with turquoise color, and she is plump; I think she may have a food lump in her, in fact.

I have been worried about how much she is aboveground, quiet and in cooler places than I would have thought normal or wise... I have developed a fondness towards her over the weeks here. I checked on her every day and pet her head and talked to her, and I am so sad that she died right in front of me, without me knowing how to help her. I hope her warm water bath was a comfort for her in the sunshine this afternoon as she was going through her transition.... and I hope it didn't contribute to her demise. The water was not hot, I am not even going to worry about such things, it is too late...

Thank you for responding. As weird as it is, I was so worried about declaring her dead if she was just very still and cool and still alive.