A little lizard that lollygag in Costa Rica ’s waterways has its very own great power . It can breathe underwater . Like world , it has grasped the knack of Aqua-Lung - diving event , but it has no want for regulator or air tanks . All it require is a little bubble of air attach to its snout .
Reporting her findings in the Natural History Notes ofHerpetological Review , Lindsey Swierkof Binghamton University stumbled upon the scuba - ready reptiles by chance . While walk along mountain stream in Costa Rica , she notice that sure lizards , known as water anoles ( Anolis aquaticus ) , were spending impressively tenacious periods of clip submerged underwater .
“ Finding evidence suggesting that water anoles ‘ breathe ’ underwater was serendipitous , and not part of my original inquiry plan , ” Swierk said in astatement . “ I was impressed and pretty confused about the distance of the dive , which gave me an itch to take a closer look with an underwater tv camera in the next pair of years . ”
Impressively , pee anole can remain submerged for up to 16 minute of arc . We humans can only manage about three minutes , although very accomplished free - divers can hold their breathfor about 20 .
So how do the lizards do it ?
The scaly aquanauts breathe beneath the Earth’s surface using a modest pocket of air attached to their noses . As they breathe out , the air bubble form , and then they re - inhale it , perchance along with some other little air air hole trap around their heads .
“ I think it ’s possible that some extra zephyr air hole are being immobilize around the Anolis carolinensis ’s head and throat , and that the inspiration and exhalation of the breeze house of cards allow for some trading of fresh air among these air pockets , permit the Anolis carolinensis to swap air in its current aura house of cards with ‘ new ’ atmosphere , ” explain Swierk , who is the first to document this breathing behavior in water anole .
“ It ’s additionally potential that the air bubble toy a role in allowing an Anolis carolinensis to get disembarrass of atomic number 6 dioxide . I mistrust that there might be morphological adjustment , namely the shape of the top of the anole ’s head , which allows a large house of cards of air to cling to it easily . ”
The rationality the anoles stay below the surface is plausibly to do with predators . If you miss speed , as anoles do , hold in yourself subaqueous is a moderately good path to hide out . Swierk also line up grounds of aquatic insects in the lizards ’ stomach , suggesting that their scuba - diving strategy might also countenance them to give underwater .
Swierk now hopes to find out exactly why the incredible behavior has evolve and whether the shape of an anole ’s header help it to maintain its vital air house of cards .
“ If future investigation reveals that this rebreathing demeanour is adaptive , then I would imagine that it is a trait that develop over time to allow H2O American chameleon , and perhaps standardized anole species , to thrive in their aquatic habitat , ” she sound out .
