Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Soaking with their head completely submerged?
I am new to Hognose snakes (but certainly not new to snake husbandry) and I noticed my Hognose snake soaking with her head under her coils (and thus completely under water). I watched her for a good minute before I prodded her to see if she was alive (she looked at me and buried her head back under).
She is in pre-shed so the soaking is nothing of concern but I haven't seen any of my other snakes keep their head under for so long. It was very late at night (around 2 in the morning) and it was almost like she was sleeping.
I thought it was interesting....
Cheers

This might be a cause for concern. Most people, including myself have never, or rarely, ever seen hognoses drinking much less soaking completely in water. Reptiles will often do this to relieve themselves of mites, they are essentially trying to drown the mites. Pay close attention with this snake and others in your collection.
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*Humans aren't the only species on earth... we just act like it.

".the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without
spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

Thank you for your opinion!
As far as I know, Hognose snakes certainly do soak in captivity and in the wild prior to ecdysis. I have found Eastern Hognose snakes soaking in small water puddles underneath debris in the wild. Also, I have seen my snakes drink (albeit only once or twice). I also don't want to sound complacent or over-relaxed but I am confident there are no mites in my very small collection. There are no mites in the water bowls and there are no mites on or around the eyes or on freshly shed skin (as concluded by examining under a dissecting microscope).
The temps are also exactly where they should be (n she's not looking for a cool retreat).
I think keepers don't see the soaking because Hognose snakes are fossorial and don't like to be out in the open diurnally (while staying still). I speculate that I witnessed this last night because she felt comfortable exposing herself in the middle of the night, my concern lie only in the submersing of her head. It is not so much of a concern as it is an interesting observation.
Cheers.
P.S. As an aside, have any other keepers witnessed their Hognose snakes soaking?

I see my easterns drink sometimes for 5 min. at a time. I don't think they have mites.