{"id":12306,"date":"2022-11-16T02:58:48","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T07:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=12306"},"modified":"2022-11-19T09:04:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-19T14:04:17","slug":"snapping-turtle-holds-breath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/snapping-turtle-holds-breath\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Can A Snapping Turtle Hold Its Breath?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Turtles<\/a> typically breathe through their lungs; but perhaps you\u2019ve heard that they can breathe through their butts<\/a>. Well, it turns out, this is just one of several tricks they can use to bring in oxygen without actually breathing. This may lead you to wonder: how long can a snapping turtle hold its breath? How long can it stay underwater? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer these questions and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do Snapping Turtles Breathe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Turtles have been around for a long time\u2013over 250 million years! As you might imagine, they\u2019ve developed a number of adaptations during that time to help them survive in a changing world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these adaptations is the way they breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snapping turtles typically breathe through their lungs in a way that is similar to humans. They take in oxygen through external nares behind their mouth, which passes into their lungs, is absorbed into the bloodstream, and spreads throughout the body by muscle contractions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the most common way for them to breathe, but they can also take in oxygen in other ways as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these methods is known as buccopharyngeal pumping. Using this method, the turtle allows water to pass through its mouth, and specialized membranes extract oxygen from the water and pass it into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another, more bizarre method is known technically as cloacal respiration, but it is more commonly referred to as \u201cbutt breathing.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of \u201cbreathing\u201d is commonly used during brumation, when the turtle\u2019s metabolism drops and it spends long periods of time underwater. Cells in the turtle\u2019s rear end, called cloacal bursae, extract oxygen from the water and send it into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snapping turtles can even \u201cbreathe\u201d without oxygen for periods of time. This breathing method is called anaerobic respiration and involves converting glucose in the body to usable energy in the absence of oxygen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snapping turtles may use this form of respiration if they are trapped under the surface of a frozen lake, for example. Though it cannot be used indefinitely without causing harm, snapping turtles can safely use anaerobic respiration for up to 100 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to learn more about this strange phenomenon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aqctB_9VRJA<\/a>