{"id":10810,"date":"2022-03-25T08:30:14","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T08:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10810"},"modified":"2022-03-27T11:44:02","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T11:44:02","slug":"how-often-do-tuatara-breathe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-often-do-tuatara-breathe\/","title":{"rendered":"How Often Do Tuatara Breathe {Explained!}"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve been learning about the tuatara<\/a>, chances are, you\u2019re fascinated by some of the facts you\u2019ve discovered. The more you learn, the more you want to know. Today\u2019s question, how often do tuatara breathe? Can they hold their breath for extended periods of time? Can they breathe underwater? Keep reading as we answer these questions and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Often Do Tuatara Breathe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tuataras are impressive reptiles. They can go for up to a year without eating and can survive much colder temperatures than other reptiles; turns out, they can also go without breathing for surprisingly long periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuatara apparently don\u2019t need to breathe very often to stay alive; on average, they take one breath every 7 seconds or so. But they can go much longer than that without air; they can hold breath for up to an hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which begs the question, why? Why would a tuatara hold its breath like that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few possible reasons. A tuatara might choose to hold its breath when trying to avoid predators or conserve energy, or it might hold its breath as a natural response to slowing its metabolism for other reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tuatara\u2019s slow metabolism is the reason its breathing is so slow in the first place. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuatara have very slow metabolisms and therefore do not need to breathe very often. Slowing their metabolism further, as they do during periods of brumation or to survive a food shortage, reduces the need to breathe even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Tuatara Breathe Underwater?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tuatara are land-dwelling reptiles; therefore, they have no need to breathe underwater. In fact, they don\u2019t even need to drink water, as they receive all the hydration their bodies need from the foods they eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a tuatara were to be held down and submerged underwater, it would technically be able to hold its breath and survive in the water for up to an hour. But it would not be able to breathe in the water, and if it could not escape, it would eventually drown.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Interesting Facts About the Tuatara<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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So, we now know that tuatara can go for long periods of time without breathing or eating, can tolerate cold temperatures, and doesn\u2019t need to drink water. That\u2019s a pretty impressive list of accomplishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But tuataras are unique creatures<\/a> with many other interesting traits as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of these interesting traits? Let\u2019s find out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n