For potential snake owners and current snake owners, this question will probably come across your mind:
How long can snakes go without water?
Depending on the condition and type of snake, they can survive for months without water – but that’s not all.
There is much more valuable information to know about the survival length of a snake lacking water than you think.
In this article, you will learn:
- The amount of water a snake needs
- Signs that a snake needs water
- The survival length of a snake without water
These alarming facts will blow your mind. Ready to get started?
How Much Water Does a Snake Need?
On Earth, water is the source that helps build living things around you – it’s the building block of life.
As for snakes, they don’t drink as much water, but they do need it.
The reason snakes need water every second of the day is to get soaked.
You’ll learn why they need water to get soaked in a moment – but let me share with you a little detail about wild snakes first.
Wild Snakes’ Way of Obtaining Water
In the wild, there are several ways a snake can obtain water, which is worth knowing to get an idea of raising yours.
They will most likely use water from:
- Creeks
- Puddles created by rainwater
- Ponds
You get the idea.
Reasons Why Snakes Need Water
When owning a snake, you have to remember that they need water for more than one purpose.
- Snakes consume very little water. There are sayings that most of the water in a snake already comes from the animals they consume.
- When there is water available for them, they will soak in the water, which makes it easier for them to shed.
For potential or current snake owners, you’re probably wondering and asking yourself now.
How much water do I really need to add for my snake?
Using The Right Bowl + Amount of Water
When you’re giving your snake water, you should remember that it’s best to have it available for them at all times.
Tip: The best type of snake bowls are created with plastic or ceramic. You want to make sure that your snake bowl doesn’t easily tilt.
It’s recommended that you use a snake bowl that is easy to clean. If you don’t have any, you can find them here.
When placing water for your snake, you should remember to:
- Place your snake’s water bowl where it’s cool.
- Not to place it near your heating system because it can cause the water to evaporate quicker.
- Place water at the perfect level for your snake to soak.
- Change the water every week.
Now to the question you’ve all been waiting for:
How Long Can Snakes Go Without Water?
There are stories of snakes surviving up to 7 months without water to certain snakes that can hardly live without it. This depends on the type of snakes.
To give you a better understanding, there are many different types of snakes and each is adapted to its own unique environment.
One reason why snakes don’t consume as much water is that they get it from their meals.
When snakes consume animals, there are liquids in them. This is enough to keep snakes alive.
Corn Snake’s Lifespan Without Water
After doing tons of research, I stumbled upon many questions about corn snakes.
I chose corn snake as my topic because as you know, corn snakes are one of the most popular types of pets when it comes to snakes.
Here’s what I encountered:
- Can my corn snake stay alive without water for two nights?
- Can they survive for 3 weeks?
In case you’re planning on going on a vacation or encounter a situation where you can’t replace water – your corn snake should be safe and considered healthy (less than 3 weeks without water).
Ball Python’s Lifespan Without Water
Another snake that I would like to cover is the ball python.
When it comes to their survival time without water, it’s estimated to be around 12 days when their health starts having problems.
Don’t forget! Every snake type is different.
What Are The Lifespans of Snakes?
When it comes to the lifespan of snakes, it depends on what kind of snakes we’re talking about.
Did you know? 💡 Most snakes can live a tremendously long time when compared to cats or dogs.
To make it more interesting, snakes that are kept as pets can live from 13 to 18 years. As for wild snakes, their lifespan ranges from 10 to 15 years. There are reasons why snakes as pets survive longer.
Reasons Why Pet Snakes Live Longer
It’s simple. When people raise snakes as pets and encounter health problems, they’re able to provide treatments when needed.
Example: Snakes can get sick. We can help cure them with treatments to fight diseases. Snakes that live in the wild don’t have that kind of treatment. Simple as that.
The second reason why snakes in the wild have a short lifespan is because of other animals preying on them.
They can get attacked by:
- Birds
- Bigger snakes
- Owls
- Coyotes
- Bobcats
- Foxes
- Snapping Turtles
- And many more animals
The third reason for a shorter lifespan of wild snakes is not having enough food. This can lead to a snake starving.
After all, this is the average lifespan of snakes. You must probably be wondering by now about the age of the oldest snake in the world.
The Oldest Snake On The Planet
The oldest snake lived up to 42 years and 6 days old. It was a Columbian rainbow boa and it was purchased in 1974. The snake survived up until 2016.
This type of snake can live between 25 to 30 years in captivity and proper care.
This has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
From VivariumTips,
It’s incredible how long snakes can survive without water! Not to mention, the record of the world’s oldest snake. If you enjoyed this article, then you might like to read other interesting articles that are animal-related.
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No, seriously! I’ll always be happy to answer your questions.
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