Posted by:
chrish
at Wed Dec 3 21:20:41 2003 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by chrish ]
Almost any air breathing animal can drown if they are submerged in water and unable to reach the surface for air.
I saw someone (not me thank god!) "drown" a snake accidentally in an icechest. The snake was in a cloth bag and there was a ziploc bag with ice in it to keep the animals cool (we were in the desert in June). The icebag leaked and soaked the snake bag which suffocated the snake.
Many years ago, I was forced to keep a Blood Python in the same cage as my Columbian Rainbow Boa (not something I would recommend). On several occasions during that winter, my room got a little warm and they both wanted to get into the large water bowl to cool down. The Rainbow boa got in first and the Blood Python got in on top and totally blocked the surface. The rainbow boa was completely submerged and as far as I could tell, unable to reach the surface without pushing the python out of the way (a significant task for such a heavy bodied hindrance). It spent several days like this as far as I can tell and could only have caught a breath with a significant effort. I never saw it do it, but I know it must have.
I once timed the respirations of an Elephant Trunk Snake (Achrochordus javanicus - a totally aquatic snake). It surfaced for breath, on average, once every 45 minutes.
-----
Chris Harrison
...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham
[ Hide Replies ]
|
Yes they can .... - chrish, Wed Dec 3 21:20:41 2003