Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how long can a burm hold its breath? longer than perhaps an alligator?
thanks
Mike
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..1 Jayne "The Hero of Canton", Ball Python
..1 Edmund Slackbladder, Mexican Kingsnake
..1 El Diablo "They haven't built a cage I can't get out of" Pueblan Milksnake
(Currently serving 25 to life in a Maryland Supermax
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Me; And finally monsieur a wafer thin pinkie
El Diablo: blaggh
Me: ah sir its only 1 leetle pink one
ED: ahh, sod off! I'm full
Me: ah sir hmm? its only wafer thin?
ED: bah! i couldn't eat another thing I'm absolutely stuffed. bugger off!
Me: ah sir, sir just ...just one......?
ED: ok just one
Me just the one.
Me: voila!
Me: bon appetite!.......

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty certain they can't hold their breath as long as gators/crocs can.

I'm gonna step out of my league here, someone will correct me if I'm off by much. I think typically, gators can hold their breath for about 20 minutes, although I think they can go somewhere near the hour mark if laying dormant, inactive.

Burmese Python's closest aquatic cousin is the anaconda, and I think they can typically hold their breath for about 10 minutes, and I've seen it said that they can go as long as 45 minutes if dormant, inactive.

Kelly & Tom know more about this and maybe one of 'em will drop by & chime in.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Crocodilians definitely hold their breath longer.

Am Alligators can stay submerged for hours while dormant, 20 minutes while actively swimming.

I'm not as familiar with Burms, but it's reported that they can stay submerged for 30 minutes. I'm sure that would be in a dormant state.

That’s a tough one to answer as data is lacking regarding boids. The two major factors involved are size and temperature. Crocodilians rarely submerge for more than 10 minutes unless pressured. Under heavy exertion they are limited to about 15 or 20 minutes, and maybe a maximum of 30 minutes with a really large individual. Smaller crocs cannot hold their breath near as long as the larger ones. The 2 hour reference commonly seen for crocs is based on large individuals that are voluntarily submerging and going inactive in relatively cooler water, which is also helping to slow their metabolism. Large pythons may have similar capabilities, but probably not as good as crocs.

I have heard of large green anacondas resting submerged for up to an hour. I would not hesitate to say that larger anacondas can more than likely match anything the crocs can do considering their size and slow metabolism, even slower than the other larger python species. This is especially so when considering the anacondas have evolved to survive in a very similar aquatic environment as the crocs.

Kelly

Crocodilians also have diaphragmatic muscles that snakes do not have which also make them more efficient divers, as well as a four-chambered heart that shunt blood flow from the lungs during long periods of submersion. I love gators...they are truly fascinating!!

If the original question was how long can a Burm hold it's breath...longer than a croc (or gator)? I think crocs/gators win. The actual ranges I have heard of for large alligators is 45 minutes in warm water and a phenomenal 8 hours in cool weather.

I'm curious as to the reasoning behind the question. It was a point of debate in the Everglades when people were wondering whether the Burms or the gators would win certain fights. As the stories go, usually the gator would dive and suffocate the Burm, or they would split and go their separate ways. This was of course assuming they are equally sized to begin with.

I agree that crocodilians are probably the most evolutionarily advanced of the reptiles, (sea turtles close 2nd), but burmese pythons have an ace in the hole that becomes an important factor. The one drawback that crocs/gators have is that their metabolic oxygen consumption per Kg body weight is about 3 to 4 times that of a python under equal conditions. If a python is able to effectively restrain and constrict it, I believe the croc is in real trouble. It will rapidly deplete blood oxygen levels during its struggle. The problem would be if the python underestimated the crocs size and couldn't gain control. Anacondas eat caiman occasionally, and there are records of african rocks eating nile crocs. However, I have not seen any records of P. molurus sp. in their natural habitat feeding on crocs.

I think the most likely scenario would be the larger crocs feeding pretty freely on the smaller, younger pythons. I don’t think even larger burmese would see gators as a prey species under most conditions.

Kelly

np

yeah that was the point, if a gator was able to dive and didn't struggle (they may be hardwired for that tho) he would outlast the snake. I think what it will come down to in the 'glades is who can kill off the young faster the snakes or the gators. or who can out breed the other. still prefer putting a bounty on snakes, that way everybody wins, ppl get meat, leather, money, and fewer invasive snakes.
-----
..1 Jayne "The Hero of Canton", Ball Python
..1 Edmund Slackbladder, Mexican Kingsnake
..1 El Diablo "They haven't built a cage I can't get out of" Pueblan Milksnake
(Currently serving 25 to life in a Maryland Supermax
______________________________________________________

Me; And finally monsieur a wafer thin pinkie
El Diablo: blaggh
Me: ah sir its only 1 leetle pink one
ED: ahh, sod off! I'm full
Me: ah sir hmm? its only wafer thin?
ED: bah! i couldn't eat another thing I'm absolutely stuffed. bugger off!
Me: ah sir, sir just ...just one......?
ED: ok just one
Me just the one.
Me: voila!
Me: bon appetite!.......