Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Animal Life > Reptiles > Turtles and Tortoises > Care of Turtles > Is it true that turtles can breathe through their rear ends?

Is it true that turtles can breathe through their rear ends?

In: Care of Turtles

Answer:

It isn't called breathing but they can absorb oxygen through the mucus membranes of their rectum. It is possible for the turtles to sustain an oxygen supply for an extended period of time through this process.

This answer is closed to changes. This is done in rare cases when questions are being vandalized or answers have become debates. E-mail reopen @ answers.com (no spaces) if you would like it to be reopened.

Contributor:

Mgdragonfly

First answer by Wokman. Last edit by Mgdragonfly. Contributor trust: 43 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 80 [Recommended].

user-generated content

Can you answer these Care of Turtles questions?

	What color are snapping turtles?	Answer it!
	Are painted turtles really deaf?	Answer it!
	How do turtle protect themselves?	Answer it!
	How do you take care of a wild baby snapping turtle?	Answer it!
	Can you keep fire bellied frogs in pond area with red eared sliders?	Answer it!

Relevant answers:

Can Turtles breathe through their butts?
Yes. Although turtles breathe using their lungs like most animals, they also have a pair of sacs located within their butt, that take in water, and extract oxygen from it. So, they are capable of...
Turtles can breathe through their butts?
Yes. However, it is technically not breathing. All turtles breathe through their mouths, however, some species of turtles have sacs in their butt that take in water, and extract oxygen from it. They...
Does a turtle breathe through its shell?
It does not. A turtle has lungs and so breathes through its mouth. It inflates and deflates its lungs by flexing muscles at its leg openings (which alter the size of its internal cavity). These...
Do turtles breathe through there butt?
Yes they do.
Is it true that a turtle can breath through it's butt?
A very few species of turtles have cloacal bursae that are rich in blood vessels and can undergo oxygen exchange. The vast majority of turtles do not have cloacal bursae, or if they do, they cannot...