Gauteng Smallholder July 2016 | Page 30

Debunking some myths T he Smallholder has received reports of an unusually high number of snake sightings on plots this winter. Snakes do not actually hibernate in the winter. What they do is they brumate, which is a process in which they burrow underground and slow down their metabolic processes until the temperature warms up. It is a common misconception that snakes hibernate and many snakes can be seen on a warm day, basking in the sun, even in midwinter. The Smallholder encourages plot dwellers not to kill snakes unless it is abso