The Tongue that Helps Musk Turtle to Breathe Underwater and Stay Submerged for Many Months

I was fascinated to read about the cracking of the mystery surrounding Musk Turtle that can stay underwater for months.

Musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), adults spend most of their lives underwater. Juveniles occasionally come onto land to search for food. This has always been a mystery. Scientists have just cracked the mystery.  The discovery was made by zoologist Egon Heiss, who is studying for his PhD at the University of Vienna in Austria.

Egon Heiss has discovered that the turtles use its specialized tongue to exchange oxygen. The tongue is lined with specialized buds called papillae.

Usually all marine turtles must come to the surface at least every few hours to draw in air.

In the case of freshwater turtles, some cannot breathe underwater, while others do so via their skin.

Details appear in the latest issue of journal The Anatomical Record.