What animal has the strangest respiratory system?

And while breathing in and out seems like the most obvious thing in the world, something we all have in common, a gander around the animal kingdom reminds us that life is ... Many amphibian species can breathe through their skin, wicking oxygen out of the air like the weird little mutants that they are. read more

Some animals use gills, some breathe right through their skin. But to me the strangest is the Fitzroy River turtle which has tiny, specialized papillae lining the walls of its cloaca—these one-stop-shop turtles use for urination, defecation, sex, and egg-laying. read more

Of course, birds, reptiles, and amphibians don’t have a monopoly on weird breathing. Mosquito larvae live underwater but breathe air through what can only be described as a butt snorkel. And a predator of mosquito larvae, the diving bell spider, is able to spend much of its life underwater by keeping air bubbles attached to its chest with tiny, hydrophobic hairs. read more

The respiratory system in insects consists of a network of tubes, called tracheae, which directly ventilate the tissues. Actively moving air to the site of gas exchange is called ventilation. read more