By OKFR Staff

The first cold front slows Oklahoma’s snakes down, but it doesn’t make them disappear.

Snakes are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends heavily on their surroundings. They can’t generate and regulate body heat the way mammals and birds do. As temperatures fall, digestion, movement and other body processes slow.

In winter, snakes enter a dormant state called brumation. It resembles hibernation, but reptiles may become active during warm spells. They look for protected places where temperatures stay more stable, including deep rock crevices, burrows, old foundations, caves and spaces below the frost line.

Some species gather at communal winter sites. A den with the right depth, moisture and temperature may be used for generations.

Snakes don’t spend the winter in one continuous sleep. A mild January afternoon can bring one to a den entrance to bask before it retreats again.

That explains why a warm fall day after a cold snap can still produce a snake encounter. A south-facing rock pile, barn foundation or sunny trail may warm up enough for a snake to move even after cold nights.

Different species choose different winter shelters. Rattlesnakes may use rocky dens below the frost line. Rat snakes can shelter in hollow trees, old wells or building foundations. Smaller species may disappear into mammal burrows or deep soil cracks. They all need protection from temperatures that would leave them unable to function.

Brumating snakes are sluggish, so disturbing a winter den can be dangerous for the snakes and is unnecessary for people. Leave a cluster of snakes in a natural rock outcrop alone. If snakes are getting into an occupied building, handle it with exclusion work, sealing entry points and removing attractants, rather than by handling the animals.

You can reduce unwanted encounters around buildings by sealing gaps, controlling rodents and keeping debris piles away from the house. Firewood stacked against a wall provides both cover and prey habitat. Out in the open, though, snakes are an important part of the ecosystem, and many species help control rodents.

If you come across a snake, keep your distance. Don’t try to handle or kill a snake you can’t confidently identify. Oklahoma has both venomous and nonvenomous species, and bites are most likely during close contact.

Young-of-year snakes may still be active in fall. A small snake isn’t automatically harmless, and size alone is a poor way to identify one. Give any unknown snake room, and take photographs from a safe distance if you need an identification.

Homeowners sometimes find wintering snakes only after moving firewood, opening a crawl space or cleaning out an old shed. Wear gloves and boots and carry a flashlight when working in protected spots where rodents and snakes may shelter. If you find a venomous snake in or right around a building, call a qualified wildlife professional instead of trying to remove it with improvised tools.

By spring, warming soil and longer days bring snakes back to regular activity. They may use the same den or refuge year after year, so the best fix for a recurring problem near a house is exclusion and habitat changes made when you can safely work the site.

Cold weather changes snake activity, but it doesn’t flip an off switch. Until sustained winter weather arrives, a warm patch of sun can still put a snake right where you didn’t expect one.

By Ann Asher

A yard full of acorns always seems to bring the same prediction: “We’re going to have a hard winter.” Oaks, unfortunately, don’t have access to a seasonal forecast.

Heavy acorn years are called mast years. Oaks can produce enormous crops in some years and very few in others. Species, tree health, pollination, weather during flowering and fruit development, and broader biological cycles scientists are still studying all influence the pattern.

The trouble with the winter-weather theory is timing. Acorns start developing months before winter arrives. A tree can’t know a February ice storm is coming and deliberately make extra acorns in response.

Weather does influence the crop, just not as a forecast. A late freeze can damage oak flowers and reduce production. Drought can stress trees. Good growing conditions can support development. Different oak groups also mature acorns on different schedules, so the crop under one tree may not match the crop under another.

Members of the white oak group generally mature acorns in one growing season, while many red oak species take two seasons from pollination to mature acorn. That means the weather that shaped this year’s crop may have hit at different stages depending on the oak.

One reason the myth feels convincing is that people remember the hits. A huge acorn crop followed by a memorable ice storm becomes a story. A huge crop followed by an ordinary winter is quickly forgotten. That is classic confirmation bias, and weather folklore is full of it.

What mast years do

Mast years do have real effects. Deer, squirrels, turkeys and other wildlife take advantage of abundant nuts. When acorns are plentiful, deer may spend less time at feeders or food plots because high-energy food is already scattered under the trees. Rodent populations can also respond to abundant mast.

Scientists study mast years for a better reason than forecasting weather. Large, synchronized seed crops can overwhelm seed predators, so more acorns survive and germinate. Mast also ripples through wildlife populations by providing a temporary burst of high-energy food.

For livestock producers, a bumper crop can be less charming. Cattle eating large amounts of acorns can develop oak toxicity, particularly when forage is scarce and animals eat acorns heavily.

In North Texas, the most useful thing a landowner can do with a heavy acorn crop is watch who is eating it. Deer may shift toward oak bottoms. Hogs can concentrate where mast is abundant. Cattle may start eating acorns if grass is short. Those are immediate management clues, unlike a guess about January temperatures.

Weather forecasting has improved because meteorologists measure the atmosphere and oceans, not because anyone found a better acorn. So enjoy the old saying, but don’t reorganize your winter feed budget around it. A ground covered in acorns tells you quite a bit about the oaks’ recent growing season and much less about weather that is still months away. The oak crop can stay where it belongs: in ecology, wildlife food and an enjoyable piece of fall folklore.

By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker

In 2006, I wrote about what I thought was the most beautiful mix of pansies ever created. Now, 20 years later, the Matrix Coastal Sunrise Mix is still the clear winner. With all the pansies, colors and mixes available, I find it amazing that I can pick out this selection while speeding by at 60 or 70 miles per hour.

That it is still in demand today is another testament to its beauty. It is also a great statement about the Matrix series of pansies. Twenty years is a long time for a series to stay on the market, and yet, wherever I go, growers and, in turn, garden centers have made it an integral part of their cool-season inventory.

If you aren’t familiar with the Matrix series, know that it loads up with large, colorful flowers. For those of you who think bigger is better, especially when it comes to pansies, the Matrix series is for you. It isn’t the largest pansy, but it is an amazing performer.

The plants branch quickly, giving you an even more colorful show because of the sheer number of flowers. They reach nearly 8 inches tall with an equal spread.

They have short stems that hold those large flowers above the plant, creating a terrific landscape display. They also resist stretching, so as you enter the warm days of spring, Matrix pansies keep performing.

All of that would make you want to plant Matrix pansies, which come in an abundance of colors and mixes. But when you see the Coastal Sunrise Mix, you may become mesmerized by its colors.

In a planting of Matrix Coastal Sunrise Mix, you’ll see rich shades of blue, rose, peach and creamy yellow. You might think, “Sure, give me those colors and I’ll put the mix together,” but it is also about the quantity of each. Believe me, this was done with a true artist’s touch.

You’ll first notice the shades of blue that remind you of that time you were in a boat and went from clear, shallow water to the deep blue. Then you see the rose that reminds you of night giving way to a new day. Next come the creams and yellows, along with what appears to be a rusty rose reminiscent of the sunrise.

Fertile, well-drained soil is important to your success with pansies, so work in 3 to 4 inches of organic matter while preparing the bed. Make sure the bed gets plenty of sunlight. Plant pansies at the same depth they were growing in their containers, and add a layer of mulch to conserve moisture and stabilize winter soil temperatures. Pansies need regular feeding, about once a month, for the long season ahead.

No matter where you live, you have a season when pansies reign supreme. In my area, pansy-planting time is at hand. In your area, it might be getting a little late. If so, consider planting from 6-inch containers, which have a better-developed root system.

If now is the time to plant pansies where you live, by all means give the Matrix Coastal Sunrise Mix a look. I also love the Matrix Ocean Breeze Mix and the bicolored Matrix Morpheus.

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