When it rains in the desert, the water disappears quickly into the soil. Even the rocks don’t stay wet for long. One advantage of having scales is that water beads up nicely on it, making it easy for snakes to take advantage of the moisture by drinking it from their scales. Facilities housing captive rattlesnakes mist the snakes regularly, in part as an enrichment activity, but also to help keep them well hydrated.
When I visit dens in the spring, I carry a misting bottle with me. The snakes are generally a little dehydrated after four months of napping and I find that they appreciate the drink. It’s fun for me, too, to see how happy they are to have the water and to watch them sipping the drops of water from their scales.
I filmed a little bit of that activity on the weekend. One of the snakes I misted began drinking immediately, but the one next to him only looked soggy and annoyed. I felt a little guilty for getting him wet– until his companion solved the problem by reaching over and drinking the water from him.