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Whether you have simply observed sea turtles in the aquarium or have a pet turtle of your own, you have likely seen turtles stay underwater for a long amount of time. Since turtles are so comfortable submerged under water, it is a common misconception that turtles breathe underwater.
However, turtles are not capable of breathing underwater, including sea turtles. Instead, turtles must come up to the surface of the water to breathe air. Luckily, they have the ability to hold their breath for much longer than people, which allows them to stay underwater for long periods of time.
Let’s learn more about turtle breathing habits, how long they can stay underwater, and more.
Can Turtles Breathe Underwater?
To begin, it’s important to understand that no turtle can breathe underwater. Even though turtles often swim and hunt in the water, they have lungs. They require air for breathing, much like us. Even sea turtles cannot breathe underwater.
As a result, all turtles often spend time underwater, but they will come up to the water surface in order to breathe. Most turtles prefer not to push their limits. So, they come up to the surface more than they need to out of comfortability.
That being said, some turtles have evolved so as to absorb oxygen while they are underwater. For these sorts of turtles, they still cannot breathe underwater and need air for respiratory functions, but their ability to absorb oxygen allows them to stay underwater longer than other land animals.
- Related Read: How Long Can Turtles Hold Their Breath?
A Closer Look at How Turtles Breathe
So, turtles need air to breathe, but they can sometimes absorb oxygen underwater. How exactly do they breathe?
Through Lungs
Most commonly, turtles breathe through lungs, inhaling air through their pair of nares that are found above their mouth. Whenever they are breathing air, the process is very similar to ours, but it is not exactly the same. Because of the turtle’s hard shell, the turtle does not have flexible ribs or a diaphragm like we do to breathe; instead, they use a pair of abdominal hypaxial muscles that aid in the breathing process1.
Cloacal Respiration
Most turtles that are primarily land creatures only breathe through the nares method. However, there are certain species that can absorb oxygen through their butts! Only about a dozen of turtles have the ability to use cloacal respiration. These are river turtle species that live in fast-flowing rivers or have to brumate in frozen ponds during the winter.
Cloacal respiration is not exactly breathing. Instead, it is the turtle’s ability to diffuse oxygen into their body and carbon dioxide out of their body using their cloaca.
At the same time, the turtle’s metabolism slows down dramatically. As a result, the turtle does not need as much oxygen to survive. Because of these two facts, turtles can sleep and hibernate underwater, even though they aren’t breathing there.
For most species, cloacal respiration is used as a secondary mechanism that allows them to extend the time they spend underwater, making it easier for them to survive in fast-moving rivers and allowing them to avoid predators. But one thing to note about cloacal respiration is that it is not as efficient as lung breathing simply because water has about 200 times less oxygen than air.
- Related Read: What Do Turtles Do in the Winter?
How Long Can Turtles Stay Underwater?
For many people who are first learning about turtles, they are shocked to find out that the creatures cannot breathe underwater. After all, some turtles can stay underwater for so long that it seems that they are right at home. However, cloacal respiration does allow certain species to extend their time underwater. The Fitzroy River turtle (Rheodytes leukops) from Australia is the only species that can derive about 70% of their energy through cloacal respiration, allowing them to stay underwater for up to 3 weeks.
Aquatic and Semi-aquatic Turtles
Although turtles cannot breathe underwater, they sure can stay under there for a long time. Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles can especially stay underwater for long periods of time. Aquatic turtles can stay underwater for several hours without coming back up for air.
This is especially true while the turtle is sleeping. During this time, some species will breathe through cloacal respiration, while others rely on oxygen storage and slowing their metabolism and heart rate, which means the turtle requires less oxygen to survive than before. As a result, aquatic turtles can stay underwater for up to 7 hours while they sleep.
After the turtle wakes back up, they will first go up to the surface to breathe. The turtle’s metabolism and heart rate start to speed up again, causing them to need more oxygen. As a result, normally aquatic turtles can only stay underwater for a couple of hours before needing air again once awake.
Tortoises
Tortoises are exclusively terrestrial and cannot hold their breath for as long as their aquatic and semi-aquatic counterparts; however, they can still hold their breath for a long time, especially while hiding inside their shell.
Can Turtles Drown?
Because turtles need air to survive, all species can drown. This includes aquatic turtles, such as sea turtles. This is why all turtle owners must have a basking spot for the turtle to access. Without proper access to air and land, turtles will drown and eventually die.
Luckily, most turtles will not drown if they are given the proper environment. For example, turtles are very skilled at getting out of water and onto a surface if need be. So, you don’t have to worry about your turtle drowning as long as you provide a basking area for them to access.
- Read Also: Can Red Eared Slider Turtles Drown?
Conclusion
At the end of the day, turtles need to breathe air like us. However, the methods through which they breathe are slightly different. All turtles come up for air and breathe through their nares. Some also have the ability to breathe through their cloaca, which is why some species can stay underwater for a long time.
Still, your turtle isn’t breathing underwater whenever they are fully submerged. Instead, they’re simply absorbing oxygen through the water. After a while, they must come up for air.
- See also: Can Turtles Swim?
Featured Image Credit: Scottslm, Pixabay
