Question: How do the snapping turtles breathe ?

Answer: All turles have lungs and need air to breathe. They can stay submerged underwater for long time, but they must reach the surface to breathe or they will drown. Lungs are the only compressible or expansible organs within the shell, and can be filled or emptied from air forcibly by withdrawing the head or legs. As one of the means of defense turtles stay hidden in their shell. Unable to breath the regular way, they are exposed to high carbon dioxide levels in their lungs, sometimes for long periods of time. However, unlike most other vertebra, turtles have adopted to this inconvenience by being able to increase or decrease pH levels of their blood ( blood can contain more carbon dioxide per volume at some pH levels ). To learn more about turtle anatomy are please click here. Thanks for asking! Stan

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