Do snakes come out at night?

Some snake species sleep during the day and become active at night. Such animals are described as nocturnal. There are many reasons as to why a snake might want to come out at night. Some of the reasons include;

Searching for prey

Avoiding scorching heat during the daytime

Looking for a heat source to warm up their bodies

Escaping from an attack or flooding at the den

Snakes are the most secretive animals and they like to move when they are less likely to encounter another animal.

How do snakes move at night?
Pit-vipers are a family of snakes that are equipped with a natural heat-sensing pit at the midpoint between the eye and the mouth. These pits are able to pick infrared signals from a warm body enabling the snake to sense the direction of the prey. Snakes have poor eyesight which is rarely used at night. This is why pit-vipers are the most common snake species that are encountered at night.

Scientific explanations on why snakes move at night
People living in tropical areas are the most likely to encounter snakes at night than those that live in cold areas. For instance, it is extremely rare to find a snake that is adopted to frost weather. This is because snakes are cold blooded and they have to regulate the metabolism processes within their bodies. During the day snakes in extremely hot tropical regions don’t move about, they hide under shades. High temperatures increase their metabolism rate depriving the snake of precious energy. It is this act of balancing metabolism rate and amount of energy available that controls the movement of our cold-blooded earthlings.

Snake species with nocturnal habits
The rattlesnakes found in most countries around the world are the most commonly encountered snakes at night. This could be attributed to the ease of noticing them by the rattling sounds they make.

How to notice snake presence at night
There are various techniques that can be used to know when you are close to a snake. The rattle snakes are the easiest to distinguish by listening to the rattling sounds produced by their rattlers. Other snakes may begin hissing when they are approached and thus you should always be alert for a leaking gas-like sound. Some snakes will vomit or spit at the intruder as a warning sign.