The Animal That Breathes Through Its Butt

It sounds like a joke—but one creature can actually survive underwater using its rear end. And now, scientists are copying it.

Certain turtles, like the Australian Fitzroy River turtle and North American eastern painted turtle, can perform cloacal respiration—they breathe through their butts. Their cloaca, a multi-purpose opening used for excretion and reproduction, contains specialized sacs called bursae that extract oxygen directly from water. This bizarre adaptation lets them hibernate underwater for months, survive in oxygen-deprived environments, and even avoid predators by staying submerged. It’s one of nature’s weirdest biological hacks.

“They draw water in and out of their cloaca like gills—it’s completely normal for them.”

~ Dr. Richard Vogt, herpetologist and turtle expert

“Cloacal respiration sounds outrageous, but it’s actually efficient. Turtles have perfected it.”

~ Dr. Donald Jackson, biologist at University of Western Ontario

“We found that some turtles can get up to 70% of their oxygen this way in cold water.”

~ Dr. Francis Camilleri, zoologist, Herpetologica Journal

“It’s the evolutionary equivalent of a scuba tank—built right into their butts.”

~ David Attenborough, Life in Cold Blood (2008)

“Understanding this helped us design better methods for oxygenating blood in medicine.”

~ Dr. Takanori Takebe, regenerative medicine researcher

Knock-on effect: This butt-breathing superpower is now inspiring bioengineers. Researchers are studying cloacal respiration to develop emergency oxygenation devices and new ways to deliver oxygen in trauma patients—potentially bypassing damaged lungs entirely. From turtle tails to trauma wards, nature’s weirdest solutions may help save lives.