Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

Sorry for asking such a silly question, but two instances I've seen over the past few days have been haunting me.

The first instance came on Sunday, when I took a trip to my local zoo. In their rainforest exhibit, they were housing a small (3 foot) green anaconda (looked more like a yellow to me, but it was labeled as green). The anaconda had completely submerged itself under the surface of a small pond in the enclosure, and was actively moving about and flicking its tongue. Now, I had heard that anacondas were semi-aquatic, but I was surprised to see him entirely below the water, seemingly perfectly at ease!

The second instance was this photograph I came across a few days ago.

My question is, how long can snakes remain submerged without drowning? Or is it not a concern for them (somehow? ^^)? Should I be worried if my (future! ^_^) ball python or rat snake dives under the water's surface during shedding baths?

Thanks a lot for your replies!

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::i believe in joy > http://www.winds.org/nekomi/hope.html

::my homepage > http://www.winds.org/nekomi

kool picture.the next time you go to the video store look for a movie called "anacondaS:FACT OR FICTION"not the idiot one with ice cube & jennifer whats her name.try the non-fiction area.or,i bought my copy for 9.99 @ a large retailer.it came with the movie"pirhanas:fact or fiction".about an hour long with real good scenery & explanations given.you get the idea that maybe anacondas have gills
& that they just haven't told anyone.
sometime i let my 30"savu python out for a swim in one of my 90 gal fish tanks.he goes right to the bottom & starts looking around.tounge going a mile a minute.

I'm no expert in snakes, but I wouldn't be worried about any snakes drowing, unless they're adapted to a compleatly desert enviroment. Anacondas are very adapted to life underwater, that's why their skin looks weird. Nearly all snakes can swim, and they don't seem to be ignorant about the dangers of water, like a little kid might be. The first couple times I gave my ball python a bath he tried to escape, but I wouldn't let him so he lifted his head straight up a few inches above the water to make sure he wouldn't drown. He seems a lot more comfortable with water now, I saw him once in his water dish with his head under water. Snakes don't breate very often, just like they don't eat or move around a lot.

They're very good at holding their breath. There are actually some species of snakes that never leave the water.
(tentacled snakes and sea snakes)
BUT if a snake were put in deep water and had no way to get out, it might die of exhaustion. Also, being in the water for a REALLY long time (a few days) is bad for the health of most terrestrial snakes.
But otherwise, they're fine. Even sand boas can swim a bit.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

if you want to see another neat aquatic snake type
"arafura file snake"into your browser & follow your nose.
i've seen these on price lists occasionally.very different.

WOW. Now that is a neat snake! The sites I saw appeared to be keeping theirs in an aquarium. That sounds like an incredibly fun new challenge for herpers! I love aquaria, so I'm going to have to do some research on this one. Looks like it gets rather large, though! ^^

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::i believe in joy > http://www.winds.org/nekomi/hope.html

::my homepage > http://www.winds.org/nekomi

A local petstore actually had dwarf elephant trunks, but I'm holding out. Just because ERPETON fits better on a license plate. (and I can fit a pair of those in my 29 gallon)
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

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.
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

That was a way cool pic of the rock python!!

As everyone else stated, a snake can drown, but if it is just in its water dish, it will be fine. Of all my snakes, the only one I have ever seen in the water dish was my male california king snake. And that was just the one time. Totally submerged and coiled up in the bowl. Dont know why, he wasnt shedding and the temps in his cage were the normal temps I keep them at. Maybe he felt like taking a swim?
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Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian