Alison Williams, age 11, of West Vancouver B.C., Canada, for her question:

IS IT TRUE THAT A SNAKE EATS ONLY ONCE A YEAR?

As a general rule, snakes and other cold blooded animals need less food than warm blooded birds and animals, who need extra energy to run their thermostats. All snakes are meat eaters and tend to consume enormous meals when they can. The average snake can consume enough calories at one meal to supply his needs for several days and longer in cool weather.

One would expect the average snake to gorge a huge meal and fast for several days. This sometimes happens, but not always. A small snake may swallow a huge frog and look around for another. Other snakes often fast after a big meal for days or weeks. A giant snake may gulp down a giant size meal and continue hunting. Or he may fast for a year to more than two years. During the fast he is digesting, but he also may be hibernating or estivating from unfriendly weather conditions.