Can turtles breathe underwater
Many turtles spend most of their lives underwater, and they may live in swamps and ponds or under the stream of water, and sometimes go out to dry land to enjoy the sunlight or to lay their eggs, so can turtles breathe underwater ?
Turtles have lungs, and they breathe the air, and they cannot extract oxygen from the water as fish do, so turtles must fill their lungs with air and keep it while they are under the surface of the water.
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Turtles cannot breathe by moving their ribs as we humans do, since their ribs are fixed to the gear of the turtle "the back of the great turtle", and the turtle fills its lungs with air in another way.
The turtle has two special muscle groups, one group of which attracts other body parts away from the lungs, while another group of muscles attracts the organs opposite the lungs, thus pushing the air outwards. The turtle takes a deep breath that lasts for several hours.
And some types of turtles that live in fresh water and can stay under the water for several days without ascending to the top, and they are able to do so because they consume very small amounts of oxygen when they are at the bottom of the water.
There are few types of turtles that have a membrane lining the throat or for the mast, and through this hole the animal gets rid of waste and other materials such as carbon dioxide, this layer can extract oxygen from the water exactly the same way that the gills work in fish, however these turtles are in constant need. To breathe the air, according to the book "Scientific Capsule" by Ayman El-Sherbiny.
How can turtles breathe underwater
Sea turtles need air in order to breathe , and they can keep themselves without oxygen for several hours, depending on their level of activity, as they can stay underwater for 4-7 hours in order to rest or sleep, and it is worth noting that they can consume the oxygen stored inside their body. Quickly, and drowns in within minutes, if she feels too tired for example when caught in a fishing net. [1] Some turtles can hibernate under water for up to four months without breathing or eating, in addition to having the property of absorbing air through the sides of their body, and water turtles are cold-blooded creatures, as their body temperatures are similar to the surrounding environment, when the temperature decreases. Their heat, the turtle cools down, and its heartbeat becomes slow, reaching at least 5 to 10 beats per minute, so its need for oxygen and food decreases, and according to some studies, turtles absorb air through gills in their skin, and it can also absorb Air it has through bags in the rear of the turtle, as these bags contain small capillary blood vessels equipped to absorb the necessary oxygen from the water.
Turtle respiratory system
The lungs of sea turtles, such as the green turtle , have the ability to provide gas exchange by widening the bronchial branch, and therefore their metabolism rates are high, and what helps this is the ability of these turtles to swim, [3] It is worth noting that the lungs are The only compressible devices inside the turtle, where they can be filled or deflated from the air forcefully by returning the head or legs to the back, where the membrane that is located at the back of the lungs is bent, and by using the abdominal muscles, the inhalation is done by pushing the membrane back and exhaling the opposite.
Breathe sea turtle chicks
Turtles lay their eggs on sandy beaches, where their embryos breathe air through the egg membrane, so they cannot live if they are constantly covered by water, and sometimes the turtle lays their eggs in a specific place, where the female turtle goes up to the beach at night, to search for a location suitable for bleaching it, and then start digging and removal of sand using four flippers, and lay eggs sequentially even fill up the hole, then close the hole using the rear fins in the same way, then put the wet sand on the eggs away dry, in order to camouflage and hide the eggs from animal predators, and then return to the sea.
Wild turtle breathing
Most different types of turtles breathe, whether on land, in fresh water, or in the ocean, through the lungs, [1] but the turtle shell causes difficulty in ventilating the lungs, because its stiffness prevents the ribs from pumping the breath, and since the turtle has many muscles inside the cochlea However, these muscles help to relax them, which allows air to enter and exit the lungs, and the turtle can change the internal pressure on the lungs by moving its extremities in and out of the cochlea.
Water turtle breathing
Aquatic turtles breathe by absorbing oxygen from the water through the skin, [1] and the turtle can breathe through the lungs in cold water, by means of a slow metabolism process. The turtle is slumbering or sleeping, because it depends on its stored energy for breathing, or on absorbing oxygen from the water by moving water over the surface of its body full of blood vessels, especially in its rear, and thus it can breathe through these blood vessels.
Turtle fitting
The body of the turtle consists of a strong jaw without teeth, and it has a strong shell, containing bony plates covered with a hard layer, as this shell covers the back and sides of the turtle, and most turtles can pull its head into the shell by wrapping the neck in an S-shape, while other turtles can, Turtles like to side-neck by moving their head to the side, and tucking it near the shoulder. [1] The turtle maintains its shell throughout its life, and because it is an integral part of the turtle’s body, it cannot exit or get rid of it like some other types of reptiles. Also, the turtle usually has two types of bones, the first type is the skin bones that form in the skin, and the second is the cartilage bones, which are It is found in the skeleton, and it is mentioned that the horned shield (in English: carapace) of the turtle contains approximately ten vertebrae, covered by skin sheets, while the perimeter of the shell is formed from many skin plates as well, and the turtle chest (in English: plastron) contains four pairs Of the large bony plates, one of them lies on the front of the tortoise's forehead.
Sea turtles
Sea turtles are reptiles that live most of the time inside the water, and do not appear on the beach except in the spawning season, and they mainly live in tropical and subtropical waters, but their young can be found in temperate waters, sea turtles have a streamlined shell, and sea turtles adapt To live in water, its front legs have transformed into fins, and the hind legs are membranous, which act like a rudder to guide the turtle while swimming.
Sea turtle breathing mechanism
Sea turtles breathe air through the lungs, like other reptiles , but their respiratory system is compatible with their long periods of time submerged in water, and the sea turtle's lungs have adapted to be able to replace gases quickly, so when they feel their need for the oxygen necessary for them to carry out their vital activities they are They rise to the surface and forcefully exhale the air in their lungs, then fill their lungs with fresh air in a rapid inhale, for example, the huge-headed sea turtle and the green sea turtle can breathe within 1-3 seconds after diving for 4-5 minutes, as well as That the blood is able to transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body very efficiently, even when it is exposed to high pressure while diving in the depths of the ocean. [2] The shell of land turtles is one of them, and the marine turtle has a stiffness with which the lungs are not able to contract and expand freely to control the pressure of the air inside them, and thus to be able to branch and fill the lungs with air, but God Almighty has created many alternative solutions that enable them to breathe, including :
Turtles are able to control the pressure inside the lungs at rest by moving their limbs, and this is as follows, when the turtle extends its limbs, the pressure inside the lungs decreases, and the turtle is able to enter the air into the lungs, and when the turtle pulls its extremities towards the body cavity, it is able to remove the air from The lungs.
The lungs of some types of turtle are lined with plate muscles, and when these muscles contract, the turtle is able to expel air from the lungs.
The lungs of turtles are connected to the inner part of the turtle's shield (the upper part of the cochlea), while the lungs are connected from the bottom to the rest of the viscera, and by using a group of special muscles similar to the diaphragm, turtles are able to push their guts up and down, enabling them to breathe efficiently.
Types of sea turtles
All sea turtles belong to one of two families of turtles, namely :
Velvet turtle (scientific name: Dermochelyidae): It is a turtle that includes one species, which is leatherback sea turtles, and is scientifically known as Dermochelys coriacea.
Sea turtle family (scientific name: Cheloniidae ): They are turtles that are distinguished by their hard shell, and include : Green turtle : Scientifically known as: Chelonia mydas . Flatback sea turtles (flatback sea turtles), scientifically known as: Natator depressus. Loggerhead sea turtles, known scientifically as : Caretta caretta . Hawksbill sea turtle (Hawksbill sea turtle), scientifically known as Eretmochelys imbricata. Kemp's ridley sea turtle, scientifically known as Lepidochelys kempii. Olive ridley sea turtle, scientifically known as Lepidochelys olivacea.
Sea turtle breed
Sea turtles reproduce by laying eggs, and they can lay approximately 100 eggs in one brood, and the number of broods in the nesting season ranges from 2-4 broods, with the exception of the huge-headed turtle, which can lay seven broods of eggs per season, and most turtles enter a dormant period For three or four years before they lay eggs again. When egg laying approaches, the female turtles come out of the water and reach the sandy areas above the high tide line, and begin to dig the nest in the sand using their hind legs, then lay the eggs in the nest and cover it with sand, and return to the sea. The eggs remain buried in the sand for a period ranging from 50 to 60 days, depending on the temperature of the sand, which helps the development and growth of the embryo, and after the eggs hatchBaby turtles begin to work together to dig the nest to get out onto the beach. They usually come out at night and head straight to the sea. Scientists rely on some scientific evidence stating that baby huge-headed turtles can store in their memory the magnetic field of the beach in which they came out of the egg, and use it to return to the same location in which to lay their eggs when they are an adult.
Sea turtles are at risk of extinction
The seven species of sea turtle are under threat of extinction. Therefore, some activists have set up programs to protect the remaining numbers of them all over the world. As for the reasons for the decrease in the number of sea turtles, they are due to the following :
Many sea turtles have been caught intentionally, or unintentionally, by fishermen.
Turtle eggs have been invaded by egg thieves in order to eat them, as some people prepare them as delicious.
The slow maturation of sea turtles, as most turtles reach the age of sexual maturity and start laying eggs at an age ranging between 10-15 years, and green turtles cannot reproduce until twenty years after they emerge from the egg.
General information about sea turtles
Some general information about sea turtles follows :
The diet of some sea turtles consists of meat, some are vegetarian, and some eat whatever food they can get, such as seaweed, shrimp, crabs , fish, and jellyfish.
Sea turtles travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, between their feeding grounds and their nesting grounds.
Approximately 90% of young turtles are exposed to prey by raccoons, marine birds , and large fish, while large turtles are vulnerable to predation by sharks.
Sea turtles can live to the age of eighty.
The length of the adult individuals of the smallest species of sea turtle is approximately half a meter, while the length of the large-sized species to approximately two meters.
A turtle shell is the fusion of ribs and vertebrae. Turtles do not have teeth but rather horny protrusions in the jaws.
The sex of turtles is affected by the temperature to which the eggs are exposed, so high temperatures encourage the development of females, while the proportion of males increases when the temperature decreases, and for the same reason the eggs that are placed in the center of the warmer nest develop into females, while the eggs that are placed on the edges of the nest develop into males.
Can turtles breathe underwater or not, and how ?
Turtles can breathe underwater in three ways and means according to their type and location of their living, as wild turtles breathe through the lungs, but not through muscle isolation and contraction, since their hard thyroid prevents this, but rather an internal process whereby the lungs are allowed to fill with air by shrinking the surrounding organs and moving away from them In the process of inhalation, then these organs return to their normal position and thus pressure on the lungs, so the air comes out of them in the state of exhalation. While water turtles breathe in the same way, but with the difference that they take one breath each time they appear on the surface of the water, and it may not appear on the surface of the water except every several days, because they do not use oxygen greatly because of their lack of movement, especially when they lie under water without movement . While you breatheSea turtle that lives in the depths through a membrane that is used to collect its droppings, then excrete it, and then it absorbs oxygen from the water and moves it into the body of the turtle, in a process similar to that of fish breathing through the gills. Different tortoise wild for aquatic Asalhvae for marine simple margins most important, breathing, method of feeding method, and finally form Darqh which is more Thdba the wild and semi - flat water can have a swim smoothly.
Amphibians breathe
Amphibians breathe through the lungs and skin, where they must keep their skin moist in order to be able to absorb oxygen, and secrete mucus materials to maintain skin moisture because if they have severe dryness, they will not be able to breathe and will die. They have gills like those that fish have to breathe, [1] Because of their dependence on water, many amphibians have retained the characteristics that the older species had, including weak lungs or lack thereof altogether, and therefore many species depend on skin breathing for some or all of the oxygen they consume, and to get rid of carbon dioxide in the body. [2] Amphibians employ different combinations of strategies that rely on gills and bronchi to complete the breathing process, and a pumping mechanism into the buccal cavity that involves pushing air between the lungs in addition to the role of skin in breathing and maintaining water balance.
Cutaneous respiration
In the process of cutaneous respiration, the oxygen that is absorbed through the skin enters the blood capillaries close to the surface of the skin, which would spread oxygen to the rest of the body, and it is worth noting that sometimes more than a quarter of the oxygen consumed by these animals is absorbed directly through their skin, [1] The cutaneous respiration occurs via the opposite exchange, so that the blood flow through the skin is in the opposite direction to the absorbed oxygen or surrounding water, [2] and the circulatory and respiratory system work with the skin, to provide cutaneous respiration, and facilitate a wide network of cutaneous capillaries, to exchange Gas, water, and ions diffuse between the animal and the environment.
The reason for naming amphibians
Amphibians are distinguished by their ability to exploit both aquatic and terrestrial dwellings (amphibians). As for the name (Amphibian), it is derived from the Greek language meaning "living a double life", although there are some types of amphibians that live on land permanently, and other species that live in water permanently, and Alomthbh amphibians frog , toad and salamander water, salamanders, frog and snake.
Amphibian characteristics
Amphibians are distinguished by several unique features, including :
Amphibians have a double-channel hearing system, two green bacillary cells in the retina to distinguish shapes, and two-part teeth (Pedicellate teeth).
Some amphibians do not have lungs, such as salamanders, and the frog Barbourula kalimantanensis (Barbourula kalimantanensis).
The skin of amphibians contains glands that release toxins and are used as defense against predators.
Most amphibians are vertebrate animals.
How do amphibians breathe
Breathe through the lungs
The lungs are made up of the amphibians of simple structures lacking appearance Spongiform complex from the inside , which is the lungs of birds and mammals , for example, as the lungs of most amphibians receive a large proportion of blood flow total from the heart, and although the ventricular heart of the amphibians is divided into Compartments, there is little blood mixture coming suddenly from the chamber of the left atrium and the right atrium into that ventricle. As a result, the lungs are first filled with deoxidized blood from the underlying tissues. [1] When some types of amphibians develop into adulthood, the lungs assume the primary function of breathing through gills. Some salamanders, such as sea urchins, do not reach adulthood, yet their lungs develop, and they retain gills throughout their lives, thus becoming able to breathe air.
Breathe through the skin
Most amphibians breathe through the lungs and the skin by keeping the skin moist in order to be able to absorb oxygen, as their body secretes mucous substances that maintain its moisture, because if it becomes dry, they will not be able to breathe, and this will lead to their death, as the oxygen absorbed through the skin enters the vessels The bloodstream is directly, then it is distributed to the rest of the body, and sometimes more than a quarter of the amount of oxygen used is absorbed directly through the skin, and it is worth noting that the tadpoles are young (small frogs ) and some aquatic amphibians possess gills like that which fish have to breathe, and there are also a few Of the amphibians that do not have lungs, and rely on breathing through the skin only. [2] Respiration through the skin requires relatively thin skin for amphibians, which leads to their high rates of water loss. Therefore, most amphibians are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic life, and unlike the lungs or gills, the skin lacks a dedicated ventilation organ. Breathing through the skin is a poorly organized respiratory system.
Percutaneous gas exchange
Amphibian skin contains unique blood vessels that facilitate the absorption of oxygen (O2) and the disposal of carbon dioxide (CO2), where gas exchange can be done routinely, oxygen absorption 0% to 100%, and carbon dioxide excretion from 20% to 100% . [3] The exchange of respiratory gases in amphibians is through thin, permeable skin and gills, as some types of amphibians depend on water breathing to a degree that varies with stages of development, temperatures, and seasons, such as: frogs, salamanders, and python frogs, and all amphibians begin life as fully aquatic larvae. With the exception of a few types of frogs that lay eggs on land, frogs use their large tail fins to breathe, which contain important blood vessels and respiratory structures due to the expansion of their tail space, and with the development of amphibian larvae, gills grow, and lungs develop, then the larvae begin to go out to the surface of the water To breathe air.
About turtle
Turtle overview
There are multiple races tracking the rank of turtles that fall under the range of reptiles in vertebrates Division under the Kingdom bilateria that follow the animal kingdom, [1] one of the creeping organisms that covers her back cochlea - like shield, turtle shell is part of their body parts as it can not be The turtle has to get out of it as some think; It is part of its own skeleton, and this solid shield that covers the turtle’s body does not resemble the skin of any other reptilian animals, as it is made up of a group of bones and cartilages that include within it the other parts of the turtle’s body.
Sea turtle
The history of the presence of turtles return marine on the planet to more than a hundred million years, with the development of this type of aquatic turtles that live in fresh water, [3] and can identify this type of turtle through the following :
Description and composition
Sea turtles have survived many environmental changes, some of which have led to the extinction of certain types of animals, such as dinosaurs, for example, and despite this, sea turtles that are considered cold-blooded are still at risk of extinction, and this type of turtle has front limbs in the form of Fins helped him to adapt to living in the seas and oceans, in addition to the flow of its shell more than other species, as this formation helped it to make it able to swim quickly in the seas in addition to its ability to travel large distances when migrating from one place to another. [3] Sea turtles can dive to depths of up to 1300 meters underwater, and this helps them by the slow metabolism rate of their body, which makes them able to retain oxygen for long periods of time, and sea turtles need to breathe through their lungs from time to time and this makes them appear on the surface Water periodically, and because sea turtles are cold-blooded, they need exposure to sunlight to regulate their body temperature, except for a type known as a "leatherback turtle" where this type of sea turtle can regulate its body temperature by changing the rate of blood flow through the body in addition to Because it has a large layer of fat, it is able to travel in cold water for long distances in search of food. [3] The shell of a sea turtle consists of two parts, the upper part of which is called the bony shield, while the lower part is called the plastron, and the sea turtle is distinguished by its ability to see well under water and its great ability to distinguish odors in order to compensate for its ability that is almost No hearing aids, and the jaw of a sea turtle does not contain teeth, and the front fins of sea turtles contain one or two claws except for those known as "Dermochelys coriacea", which is characterized by its soft shell, and sea turtles have tails that vary in length according to the different sex of the turtle Males have longer tails than females, and turtle tails contain a reproductive organ that enables them to mate, and it must be noted that sea turtles cannot hide inside their shell, as they are unable to pull their fins, head and tail into the cochlear.
Reproduction and life cycle
It is believed that sea turtles live to an age that may exceed a hundred years, and the age of a sea turtle cannot be determined according to the shape of its body, and sea turtles differ in their sexual maturity, but they reach that stage during the age of ten to fifty years of their life, and the life cycle of turtles contains what It is known as lost years, which are those during which the turtle comes out of the eggs to crawl straight to the sea and does not appear again until after it has sufficiently matured. [3] [4] Turtles are considered egg-laying animals, after reaching sexual maturity and mating, females immediately go to the beach to lay their eggs there, as they head to the same beach on which they hatched, and turtles usually lay their eggs on tropical or semi-tropical beaches during the night hours, and the turtles begin to use Their fins are to dig a hole in the sand of the beach so that they can enter it, then dig a hole designated for laying eggs in it, and the number of eggs laid by turtles varies according to the difference in their species, as they lay between 50 to 200 eggs after each fertilization process, and this process is done once. Within two to four years. [3] [4] The turtle buries the hole with beach sand and then leaves it, and the eggs need a period ranging from 45 to 75 days until they hatch, during this period the sex of the young is determined according to the temperature to which the eggs are exposed, as the males produce when the eggs are exposed to temperatures below 27.8 ° C in When the females are produced when the eggs are exposed to a higher temperature, and the exposure of the eggs to temperatures below 23.9 or more than 32.2 degrees Celsius leads to their failure to hatch, and the eggs usually hatch during the evening or early morning hours so that the young turtles begin to crawl into the sea, and it is believed that one Only baby turtles out of every thousand survive to reach maturity.
Food
Sea turtles have a beak-like shape. This is to compensate for the absence of any teeth in its jaws, as it relies on this part to eat its food, which it can determine through the use of the sense of sight and smell, [5] so the large loggerhead sea turtle feeds on living organisms that have hard scales such as fish And crustaceans, while green turtles eat only plants and seaweeds, while leatherbacks prefer to find jellyfish as their food. [6] There is another type of turtle known as Hawksbills turtle, which has a beak that resembles that of birds, which it uses to cut sponges, coral reefs and others, and olive ridleys are also considered turtles that eat plants and sea meat It feeds on shrimp, jellyfish, crabs, and snails, and occasionally on algae and seaweeds.
Freshwater turtles
Shallow water and water bodies in which the water runs a slow flow are the best places that freshwater turtles prefer to live in, as such places contain a group of aquatic plants and mud at their bottom, which makes them a special place for turtles to hide in, but this does not apply to what is known as "Wood Turtle" that prefers to live in clear water with a firm and hard bottom, and not all types of freshwater turtles are able to swim excellently, so having a muddy bottom of the water is important to them.
Description and composition
Freshwater turtles have a bony shell, and this type of turtle is considered a cold-blooded organism that has the ability to change its temperature according to the surrounding environment, and the freshwater turtles are distinguished by their skin scales that allow them to live outside the water, and the types of freshwater turtles differ, as all Some of them have evolved and adapted according to where they live, as the Snapping Turtle and the Spiny Softshell Turtle are the largest freshwater turtles that exist in Canada and the most distinctive species of turtle, and the soft shell turtle is also distinguished by its soft shell that It helps them to hide in the bottom of the water, and this type of turtle has a long neck and a pointed snout that helps it breatheUnder the water, the snapping turtle is distinguished by its long neck and strong jaw that it uses to eat and defend itself, as it cannot hide inside its shell. [11] There are many types of freshwater turtles that differ in their ability to survive out of water. The "Eastern Musk Turtle" does not come out of the water except at the time of laying its eggs on land, then returns to spend its entire time in the water, and the same is true for the snapping turtle, as for the soft shell turtle, it can live completely under the water; This is due to the nature of their body, which can absorb dissolved oxygen in the water. There are also many other species that go out to land on a daily basis during the summer to be exposed to sunlight, and there are other types of turtles that are able to live the bulk of their lives on land, such as "Wood Turtle" which They live in agricultural lands close to water, and there are other species that are able to walk long distances on land to reach their nesting sites or move to another wetland.
Reproduction and life cycle
Freshwater turtles can store the sperm of males to be fertilized after some years have passed, and the female can also produce offspring that return to more than one male at the same time, and freshwater turtles marry at the age of ten to twenty years , and the underwater reproduction processes begin in the spring and continue until the coming Autumn season, when the female is ready to lay eggs, she goes to the land near the water to dig her nests and lay her eggs in them or dig in the bottom of the water, and the amount of eggs that are laid varies according to the different type of turtle. Some of them are able to lay a hundred eggs like a snapping turtle, then the female covers her eggs with sand using her hind feet. [11] The temperature of the nest is crucial in determining the sex of the young, as increasing the temperature of the nest leads to the production of females, while its decrease in the production of males, and after the young hatch eggs, they instinctively go to the water as a safe haven to hide, but if the eggs are hatched during the autumn period The young ones remain in their nest until the arrival of spring, and the young also take care of themselves as they are, with the help of some materials produced by their cells, able to cope with the low temperatures that may reach ten degrees below zero degrees Celsius, and then go to the water after passing through the winter season And the advent of spring, and it is worth noting that birds and other mammals pose a danger to the eggs during their time on land, as they prey on the eggs after laying directly.
Food
The menu for freshwater turtles varies to include snails, slugs, freshwater locusts, fish, insects, earthworms, and sometimes even other turtles. Some types of freshwater turtles such as "Wood Turtle" walk on the ground imitating the sound of rain; This is so that earthworms come out to prey on them immediately, just as some types of turtles prefer to eat meat that you may find in dead prey, and most types of freshwater turtles dive to the bottom of the water, hide in it, and wait to get their prey.
Summary :
So the Straight Answer for : can turtles breathe underwater ? Is here in this article with détails.
