snakes and hibernation

Question
I am curious at what temperature cotton mouth moccasins body temperature renders them dormant.

Answer
Bob, Cotton mouths do not truly hibernate.  In the wild they do slow way down to a semi-dormant state in winter, but it is not truly hibernation.  They are cold blooded so the colder they go the slower they go.  In the wild they would seek out a spot that would remain at a bearable temp., (what that is to CM I don't know).  For example a rotting log, or even shallow water.  Let me caution you, if you are trying to amaze your friends by secretly cooling and then handling a CM, it's not worth the risk.  They have bad tempers and will let you know about it!