How does a turtle breathe?

That, at first, seems like the only explanation for why certain turtles, among them the Australian Fitzroy river turtle and the North American eastern painted turtle, breathe through the back end. Both turtles can breathe through their mouths if they so chose.Jun 17, 2014 read more

Turtles breathe air through external nares located above their mouths. Air moves through the glottis and into the trachea, made of a series of rings of cartilage. A turtle's trachea is elongated and flexible, allowing the turtle to move his head in and out of his shell. read more

Some turtles can also use their anal cavities to breathe. These turtles pull water into their anal cavities where sacs collect the water and filter out oxygen. This allows the turtle to remain submerged without ever having to surface for air. read more

Steve Carr Dear Cecil: My understanding of physiology is that animals (including humans) draw in air by expanding the volume of the chest cavity. read more