- By Ridam Sharma
- Tue, 05 Aug 2025 03:48 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Which Reptiles Breathe Through Their Butts? Nature is a fascinating phenomenon, and it has somehow always managed to keep humans’ curiosity high. Especially, its creatures, which are known for their unique survival characteristics. From an animal with blue blood to now, the one that breathes through its butt, these unique features seem foreign to mankind, but are a necessity for animals for survival. In the same way, do you know which is the animal that breathes through their backside and not its mouth or nose? It might sound like a weird joke, but in the natural world, some reptiles actually possess this amazing ability. Let’s take a look at the process of butt-breathing, according to data from the Forest Preserve District of Will County.
These animals live in the river's water, and breathing, like humans or other animals, is not always possible. Thus, they have a special mechanism to receive oxygen from the water surrounding them through their cloaca, which is the same opening used for expelling waste from the body.
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What is Cloacal Respiration?
Cloaca is a multipurpose opening used for excretion, reproduction, and respiration in animals. Turtle uses this special opening to extract oxygen directly from water. The turtle has thin finger-like structures situated in the cloaca known as the bursae, which are full of blood vessels and are lined with papillae. When the turtle forces water in and out of this opening, oxygen from the surrounding water enters its blood, and carbon dioxide comes out from the body. This process is known as the Cloacal Respiration. This is a known process that allows the turtle to remain underwater for an extended period without surfacing for air. This comes in handy during times of turtles slowing down the functioning of their bodies to survive winter cold or to escape predators.
This trick is particularly prevalent in an Australian river-dwelling turtle species, also known as the Fitzroy River Turtle (Rheodytes leukops). These turtles spend the majority of their life underwater. But other turtle species also employ this trick differently, showing that often, nature provides smart solutions to problems. The interesting thing is that although "breathing through the butt" sounds amusing to us, to these turtles it's only a matter of survival.
Why Do Reptiles Breathe Through Their Butts?
This special breathing technique helps turtles to live in water that does not always contain sufficient oxygen, or in some cases, where coming up to the surface too often would be dangerous. These turtles do still depend almost entirely on their lungs for breathing in most situations. This additional help of their unique adaptive feature, their cloaca, provides them with a huge advantage in their underwater environments.
Also Read: Which Animal Has 3 Hearts And Blue Blood?
Despite this incredible adaptation, these turtles are scarce by the dangers of pollution and habitat destruction, which might compromise their survival in the long run. Conservation of these animals and their environment is necessary, not only for their well-being, but because they remind us of the boundless creativity and strength of nature.
In short, turtles that ‘breathe through their butt’ remind us that animals are capable of diverse adaptation prowess in unexpected ways, taking what appears odd and making it a good solution to survival in tough situations.