How Long Can a Snake Stay Underwater?

Snakes are the suborder Serpentes’ elongated, limbless, carnivorous representatives. Snakes are ectothermic, amniote, multi-scuttled vertebrates.

Snakes can swim and survive in water but do you know how long can a snake stay underwater? Read on to learn more and explore the behaviors of snakes.

 

When and How do Snakes Breathe?

 

Perhaps you’re wondering whether or not a snake’s respiratory system includes lungs. They are capable of breathing air, after all.

Several snakes have two lungs, one on each side. But most snakes only have a single lung, and it happens to be the right one.

Different snake species indeed have varyingly lengthy right lungs. There are creatures whose right lung is larger than their entire torso.

In snakes with lungs, the left lung is noticeably smaller than the right. The tracheal lung aids the snake’s respiratory system if its left lung is underdeveloped or absent.

The diaphragm is the main muscle utilized in breathing, both during inhalation and exhalation. There is no diaphragm in a snake’s respiratory system. You could start to question how they can breathe because of this.

The breathing process is aided by the muscles around the ribs, which move in response to an individual’s diaphragmatic activity (rib cage expansion and contraction).

To take in air and expel carbon dioxide, snakes extend and compress their rib cage. Keep reading to know how long can a snake stay underwater.

 

Read also: How to Get Rid of Copperhead Snakes

 

How Long Can a Snake Stay Underwater?

 

Do you know how long snakes stay underwater? The answer is for several minutes. Assuming the snake is calm and not moving about too much, it can go without breathing. Some snakes have been recorded staying submerged for up to an hour without taking a breath.

However, Snakes are experts at holding their breath for long periods. Despite spending so little time on dry land, sea snakes can hold their breath for anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours at a time.

It could be anything from a few seconds to many minutes, depending on the situation and the type of snake involved.

A snake may go without breathing for several minutes if it is completely at peace and content in its prison. For survival in the wild, the ability to hold one’s breath is crucial.

Snakes that spend a lot of time in the water have developed the ability to hold their breath for long periods of time.

As long as they have enough air in their lungs, an anaconda may stay submerged for up to 10 minutes. Keep reading to explore related facts on how long snakes stay underwater.

 

Read also: Snake Gaiters for Hiking

 

When Eating, How do Snakes Breathe?

You can learn more about a snake’s eating habits by reading about how it consumes its prey. When this occurs, the victim’s airway may be totally or nearly blocked.

Even though these creatures have noses and can breathe via them, they fail to take in sufficient oxygen while consuming food.

The snake’s tracheal lung allows it to continue breathing while it consumes prey.

When a snake is feeding, the aperture to its tracheal lung moves to the side of its mouth. This provides a direct route for food to reach the lungs.

If you have a snake and have observed it eating, you may have noticed a little hole or tube on the side of its mouth. This is the glottis, or tracheal lung, through which air can enter and exit the body.

Normal breathing is resumed after the airway is clean. This is because the glottis returns to its normal position. To breathe when anything is blocking their airway, they can move the organs connected to their respiratory system.

The hissing sound made by snakes is likewise produced by the glottis. The characteristic hissing sound associated with snakes is produced by the vibration of cartilage during the animal’s violent exhalation.

The glottis contains a tiny bit of cartilage. The time range in which snakes eat isn’t the same as how long can a snake stay underwater.

 

Read also: Snake Bite Piercing; All You Need to Know

 

How long Can Sea Snakes Stay Underwater?

If you know how long snakes stay underwater, you can predict this. Resting in the water is a common behavior for sea snakes, which helps them preserve oxygen.

A key adaptation of sea snakes’ respiratory system is the ability to draw oxygen directly from the water, allowing them to spend extended amounts of time at depth.

Snakes use a technique called “bucolic pumping,” in which they enlarge their throat by opening their mouths. The resultant drop in pressure makes it possible for water to be sucked in through the mouth and gills.

Oxygen is drawn from the water and absorbed by the gills before being distributed throughout the body. Some types of sea snakes have numerous microscopic blood veins just beneath the skin of their skull.

These blood arteries aid in the process of drawing oxygen from the water and distributing it throughout the body.

Sea snakes can remain underwater for up to two hours thanks to their cutaneous breathing mechanism.

The low metabolic rate of sea snakes is another factor in their ability to hold their breath for long periods. They can go longer without breathing since they don’t need as much oxygen as other creatures.

 

Read also: Creamsicle Corn Snake | Fact, Identification & Behavior

 

What Affects a Snake’s Ability to Stay Underwater?

A widespread myth is that snakes will perish if they spend too much time submerged in water. Snakes are excellent swimmers and have remarkable endurance when underwater.

A snake’s ability to stay submerged is affected by several variables, such as the water’s temperature, the snake’s size, and the snake’s breathing system.

The length of time a snake may remain submerged is affected, in part, by the water’s temperature.

Because of their lack of a core metabolic temperature, snakes must rely on external factors to maintain a comfortable internal temperature.

One study found that snakes can remain underwater for longer in colder waters because they breathe less deeply.

This is because cold-blooded creatures don’t require as much oxygen to sustain their reduced metabolic rate. The size of the snake is another element in determining its submerged survival time.

Smaller snakes lose heat more quickly than larger ones because their surface area-to-volume ratio is higher. This means that smaller snakes have to surface for air more often to maintain a steady body temperature.

The length of time a snake may remain submerged is also influenced by its size.

Smaller snakes lose heat more quickly than larger snakes because their surface area is greater concerning their volume.

So, smaller snakes have to come up to the surface more often to avoid hypothermia. Garter snakes, which have fully developed lungs, are able to remain submerged for much longer than sea snakes, which only have a small set of lungs.

Having well-developed lungs has this effect because they allow for a more rapid exchange of oxygen while submerged. How long a snake can stay submerged depends in part on its breathing system.

 

What is the Longest a Snake Has Been Underwater?

It has been documented that some species of sea snakes can remain submerged for up to two hours at a time. There is no clear answer to this, however, one study suggests that, in cool water, a snake can remain immersed for up to eight hours.

As a result, the exact length of time a snake can remain submerged is unknown, but we may be confident in stating that they can do so.

 

Finally on How Long Can a Snake Stay Underwater?

Rapping up, we believe you have gained a better understanding of a snake’s breathing capacity now. Their ability to hold their breath is fascinating, whether they are at rest or trying to avoid a predator.

Although breathing is essential for snake survival, the animal may temporarily cease breathing and hold its breath for varied durations.

Feel free to drop questions on “How Long Can a Snake Stay Underwater?” for further explanations in the comment section below.

About The Author