Lizards Evolving Unique Bubble Breathing for Underwater Survival

A fascinating discovery has emerged about a small semi-aquatic lizard species in southern Costa Rica, revealing an unusual method of survival. Researchers from Binghamton University have found that these water anoles are capable of using bubbles to breathe underwater, allowing them to evade predators.

The water anoles, when threatened, dive into the water and form a bubble over their nostrils. This bubble acts as a temporary source of air, enabling the lizards to stay submerged for extended periods. Lindsey Swierk, a biological sciences research professor at Binghamton University, explained that this unique adaptation helps them escape from common predators, including birds and snakes. “Anoles are kind of like the chicken nuggets of the forest,” Swierk humorously stated. The bubbles not only help with breathing but also allow the lizards to remain hidden from predators while they wait for danger to pass.

Swierk’s research looked deeper into whether these bubbles play a critical role in the lizards’ ability to stay underwater for long periods or if it was merely a side effect of the lizards’ hydrophobic skin. To test this, she covered the lizards’ skin with a substance that prevented bubble formation and compared their underwater endurance to those with normal bubble-breathing abilities. The findings were striking: the bubble-breathing lizards stayed underwater 32% longer than those that could not form bubbles. This discovery confirmed the adaptive significance of the bubbles in extending their underwater time.

Source: SciTech Daily/Youtube

Swierk’s ongoing research aims to explore whether this bubble mechanism functions like a “physical gill,” a concept seen in some insects that use air bubbles to extract oxygen from the water. While the water anoles are likely too large to rely solely on the oxygen in the bubbles, further experiments are underway to determine if some degree of oxygen exchange is helping them stay submerged even longer.

This research has opened new doors in understanding vertebrate respiration and has potential implications for bioinspired technology. Swierk is excited about the broader impact of this discovery, noting that it could spark interest in new animal behaviors and inspire future scientific innovations. As she put it, “There’s a great opportunity to get people excited about science by having this relationship between what they love to do and what’s evolved in nature.”

This discovery showcases the incredible ways that animals adapt to their environments, even in ways that seem almost unbelievable, like a lizard “scuba-diving” to escape predators.

Latest Petitions to Sign:

• Petition: Tell Microsoft to Find A Safer and More Eco-Friendly Power Station to Power Its Data Centers
• Petition: Urge Authorities in Australia to Educate the Public on How to Interact with Wildlife
• Petition: Hold ExxonMobil Accountable for Deceptive Claims About Plastic Recycling
• Petition: Demand Accountability for Groomer Who Killed a Client’s Dog
• Petition: Demand Accountability for Texas Teacher Who Instructed Students to Staple a Live Cat
• Petition: Help Ban the Manufacture and Sale of Kangaroo Leather Products in the United States
• Petition: Hold RFK Jr. Accountable for Illegally Decapitating a Whale with a Chainsaw!
• Petition: Tell Authorities to Address the Harmful Consequences of the Border Wall for Wildlife and Humans
• Petition: Help Ensure the Safety of Koala Populations in Australia from Fire Ants
• Petition: Tell Biden to Reinstate Federal Protections for Gray Wolves

Related Content:

• How Will Underwater Cave Creatures be Affected By Climate Change?
• Awe-Inspiring Images From Underwater Photography Contest Remind Us Why We Need to #CrushPlastic
• Tides and Storms May Counteract Climate-Induced Ocean Deoxygenation
• 10 Amazing Videos of Ocean Conservationists Interacting with Sharks

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!