I have read that turtles can breathe through their bums. Is this true, and if so, why did they evolve such a talent and what are the mechanics of this trick?
When turtles put their heads in their shells, what happens to their spines? Do they buckle or contract?
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“With an ancestry going back more than 200 million years to the late Triassic, the 200 or so species of turtles are the most ancient surviving lineage of land vertebrates. They are also one of the most distinctive life forms on the planet. My herpetology professor started his ‘Identification Key to the Reptiles’ with the couplet: ‘A. Turtles. Any damn fool knows a turtle. B. Other reptiles.’
“The rigid rib cage also places restrictions on breathing. Turtles have two special sets of respiratory muscles. One set pulls the body contents outward, toward the openings at the front and rear of the shell. This expands the body cavity and draws air into the lungs, which are located in the top part of the shell. The other pushes the viscera up against the lungs to expel the air. This system has the drawback that both inhalation and exhalation require energy–in most vertebrates, elastic energy can be recovered from the rib cage so that exhalation requires little exertion.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Slug Signorino.
