Too Hot For Snakes!

If you believe Hollywood, besides logging frequent-flyer miles, snakes occupy every crevice in the swamp! Can you spot at least one snake in the image that is not on the sign? We'll wait...still waiting...some more waiting. No? Well, we can't see any snakes either. That's because it is Too Hot For Snakes...not to be confused with the albums of the same name.

Reptiles are ectotherms, which means they cannot maintain sufficiently-warm internal temperatures and must rely on the surrounding environmental conditions to raise their body temperature. We often think of reptiles as needing to warm themselves when it is too cool, but we seldom think of reptiles needing to cool themselves when it is too hot. With temperatures pushing 100F away from the coast, today is indeed too hot for snakes.

While walking around the 1.75-mile boardwalk, not a single snake was spotted. This does not mean that they have evacuated the swamp. The snakes are surely there though simply out of sight in the cool recesses under logs or in the many hollow trees. Although Hollywood exaggerates the size of the reptilian population in the swamp, now would be a great time to visit if you prefer to see you swamp sans snakes!