Douglas Walter, age 11, of Hemingway, S.C., for his question:

Is it true that snakes go blind and attack people in winter?

Many such folk ideas about animals make no sense at all. For example, the notion that a scared ostrich hides his head in the sand is ridiculous. Others are based on provable evidence. So Andy cast around to find possible reasons why normally calm snakes might seem more aggressive during the cool season of the year. And, believe it or not, there may be something to this old folk theory.

Snakes, of course, are reptiles, related to crocodiles and lizards, turtles and tortoises. This ancient tribe can claim with pride that their ancestors were waddling around the swampy world some 280 million years ago. The snaky members of the clan have been crawling and hissing around for the past 60 million years. All of them are first cousins to the dinosaurs who bossed this planet through the long ages of the Mesozoic Era of the earth's history.

Their fabulous success story has a drawback    one that may be related to today's question. The body temperature of snakes anti other reptiles is very close to the ground on which they crawl or squat. Unlike birds and mammals, they have no built in thermostats to adjust their body warmth, which is why they are called cold blooded creatures. All living cells need warmth to keep going    and no snake can abide the cold. Even on the cool days of spring and fall his muscles become stiff.. His digestion, heartbeat and other processes slow down.,. When the temperature dips to SO degrees F; he is too sluggish to crawl.

In cold winter regions, all the snakes find comfortable crannies and sink into the deep coma of hibernation. However, this routine may be modified in milder winter climates and also during the between seasons of spring and fall. During a warm spell, a dozing snake may be coaxed to arouse himself, limber up and maybe hunt for a snack.

Once in awhile, a person may chance by just as such a half asleep snake emerges for a blurry look at the world. This is when the normally bashful fellow may act in a cranky fashion. Reliable reports indicate that he may make a frantic rush at the intruder. These same reports also suggest that this happens only when a person stands between the snake and his winter den.

Perhaps in his snaky way, he senses that the mild spell is not to be trusted. A chilly breeze may spring up and attack him or the sun may hide behind a cloud. In his dopey state he fees insecure when an intruder stands in the way of a speedy retreat to his warm.den. This, so the experts say, may explain why normally timid snakes sometimes make frantic rushes at people during coolish weather.

Snakes also become highly nervous when time comes to shed their shabby old skins. In mild winter regions, this often happens in early spring. The itchy old skin is a long body stocking and the poor fellow has no arms to pull it over his head. Naturally his eyes are covered and he feels insecure and very irritable. In such inconvenient circumstances, many creatures would feel provoked enough to rush at an intruder.