Cloacal Respiration: Turtles' Survival Superpower

It sounds fake, but it’s a real biological trick called cloacal respiration. During winter,

when turtles hibernate underwater, they don’t have the energy to swim to the surface for

air. So instead, they absorb oxygen through blood vessels in their rear cavity.

It’s not just a weird quirk — it’s a survival superpower. This technique allows some species to

stay underwater without breathing for months at a time. It’s one of nature’s

strangest life hacks… and also the reason scientists say turtles never get enough credit