Reptiles

how do reptiles breathe


How Do Reptiles Breathe?

Reptiles are a class of animals that includes everything from snakes to lizards to turtles. All reptiles are tetrapods, meaning that they have four limbs, although not all of them use them. But these cold blooded animals have something else in common besides four legs – they need oxygen to survive, and they all breathe it in a unique way. So, how do reptiles breathe?

The Skin-Breathing of Amphibians and Reptiles

Most reptiles and amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, have a type of respiration known as cutaneous respiration. This process is also known as skin-breathing and it allows for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the skin. Reptiles like snakes and lizards don’t have lungs, so this method is the only way for them to get the oxygen they need.

Rib-Cage Breathing

The few reptiles that do have lungs, such as crocodiles and tortoises, use rib-cage breathing to intake and exhale air. To do this, these reptiles expand and contract their rib cage in order to draw air in and out.

Nostril Breathing

Reptiles also use their nostrils to take in and expel oxygen. While in some species such as lizards and chameleons, this is the primary way they breathe, other reptile species, such as turtles and snakes, also use their nostrils to take in an extra dose of oxygen as well as to smell.

The Respiratory Process

Regardless of the method used, reptiles rely on the same air intake process for respiration.

  • Inspiration:When a reptile takes in air, its respiratory muscles contract and pull in oxygen which travels through the trachea and bronchial tubes to the lungs.
  • Diffusion: Oxygen then diffuses into the blood in the capillaries of the lungs, and carbon dioxide diffuses out.
  • Expiration: The air then travels back up through the lungs, trachea and out through the nostrils.

The mechanics of respiration in reptiles may not be the same as in mammals, but by understanding the basics of how reptiles breathe, it becomes clear that these creatures are so much more than cold blooded predators.

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