Have you ever held your breathfor as long as you couldwhile swimming and then burstabove the surface gasping for air? How long did you last under water? Probably nowhere near as long as a beaver can.
Beavers can go as long as 15 minutes without breathing while they are under water, National Geographic reports.Most people can hold their breathfor about 30 seconds, although some people can hold it for a minute or even two. The world record is an astonishing 24 minutes and 3 seconds, according to Smithsonian magazine.
But unlike beavers, which have an innate ability to hold their breathfor up to 15 minutes, the world record holder achieved the feat with a technique known as oxygen assist, which involves breathing in pure oxygen immediately prior to extended periods of not breathing. This allows a person'slungs to be filled with pure oxygen as they begin holding their breath.
As good as beavers are at staying under water for long periods, they aren't even close to the best at it. Some aquatic and semiaquatic mammals can stay under water for even longer. Elephant seals, for example, can hold their breathe for as long as two hours, according to National Geographic.
The ability for aquatic and semiaquatic mammals that dive to hold their breathfor so long is due to several factors. First, when these animals dive in the water, they slow their heart rate and — obviously — stop breathing, but their bodies also change how blood flows, keeping it away from their extremitiesand instead concentrating blood flow around their brains, hearts and muscles, National Geographic reports.
More importantly, these animals have proteins called myoglobin, which binds with oxygen in their muscles. Humans have myoglobin too, but not in the quantities that aquatic mammals do. The high levels of myoglobin in their muscle tissue givebeavers and other aquatic mammals a larger supply of oxygen to draw from while under water, allowing them to stay under for longer, according to National Geographic.
In diving mammals like beavers, otters, seals and whales, myoglobin is 10 times more concentrated in muscle tissue than it is in humans, National Geographic reports. Myoglobin molecules are positively charged, which means themolecules will repel each other, like two magnets would, rather than sticking together and forming clumps.This is important because when too many protein molecules become packed together it can cause health problems. In humans, this can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's or diabetes.
The discovery of myoglobin concentrations in diving mammals is relatively recent by science standards, and was published in a study in June 2013 in the journal Science. The researchers involved in the study hope that it leads to further researchinto myoglobin and diving animals, including studies into the role myoglobin may play in populations where diving is part of human culture, such as where diving for food is a means of survival, National Geographic reports.
FAQs
The high levels of myoglobin in their muscle tissue give beavers and other aquatic mammals a larger supply of oxygen to draw from while under water, allowing them to stay under for longer, according to National Geographic.
How do beavers hold their breath for so long? ›
Its ears, nose, and mouth can also be closed underwater. Beaver can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes due to their ability to efficiently transfer oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream and to tolerate a build-up of carbon dioxide in the body.
How do animals hold their breath for so long? ›
It all comes down to the amount of myoglobin they have in their bodies. Myoglobin is a protein within the muscles that stores oxygen. It's responsible for allowing these mammals to store enough oxygen in their bodies to go on these deep dives for long periods of time.
Why would a beaver need to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes? ›
While submerged, a beaver gets its oxygen not from the water, but from the air it has stored in its lungs. This is why even though a beaver might appear to be underwater for quite a while, it will eventually resurface. Once it breaks the surface, it can take a deep breath, refilling its lungs with air.
How do beavers breathe under the ice? ›
During the winter, when beavers swim under the ice, they can rebreathe air! They exhale a large amount of air that no longer has enough oxygen in it. The air bubble is released in such a way that it stays in one large bubble underneath the surface of the ice.
Can beavers hold their breath for 45 minutes? ›
Beavers can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes underwater. They also have a transparent third eyelid which protects their eyes when swimming underwater.
What animal can hold its breath the longest? ›
The longest ever recorded dive by a whale was made by a Cuvier's beaked whale. It lasted 222 minutes and broke the record for diving mammals. Other whales can also hold their breath for a very long time. A sperm whale can spend around 90 minutes hunting underwater before it has to come back to the surface to breathe.
What animal can hold breath for 6 days? ›
Scorpions are organisms which can hold their breath for up to even 6 days. Scorpions are called arachnids, which are members of the animal kingdom's arachnid class. Their modified lungs, which are known as book lungs, also allow them to hold their breath for long.
What animal can hold its breath for 2 hours? ›
It was previously thought that elephant seals could hold their breath the longest, with a record of 2 hours. Although they aren't mammals, sea turtles hold the record for the animal that can hold its breath the longest underwater.
What animal can hold its breath for 40 minutes? ›
Sloths can swim three times faster than they can walk on land. And because of their ability to slow their heart rates to one-third its normal rate, they can also hold their breath for a whopping 40 minutes under water.
Fat has a very low specific gravity and helps keep the beaver afloat. If you shoot a beaver and it sinks, it will stay on the bottom. If there isn't much current, you can see little bubbles coming up, and snag the beaver with a hook on a long pole.
What is the largest beaver ever recorded? ›
The biggest beaver ever recorded was found in North America and weighed 110 pounds. This beaver is twice as large as the average beaver size! It was caught in Iron County in 1921 but was originally from Wisconsin, United States. The beaver has a large, flat tail and webbed hind feet.
Do beavers' teeth ever stop growing? ›
Always growing
Like all rodents, beavers have front teeth, called incisors, that never stop growing. To keep them in check, rodents must constantly gnaw on hard surfaces like wood. Beavers' incisors can grow up to 4 feet per year. That is the size of most adult beavers' bodies without the tail!
Do beavers mate for life? ›
A beaver's social life centers around the family—mother, father and offspring. The male and female mate for life and are monogamous.
Are beavers intelligent? ›
Beavers are extremely gentle and highly intelligent animals. A famous animal behaviorist said, “When we think of the kinds of animal behavior that suggest conscious thinking, the beaver comes naturally to mind”. The American beaver is the largest rodent in the N. hemisphere.
What does it mean when a beaver slaps its tail? ›
>> Beaver families are territorial and defend against other families. >> In order to warn family members of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a powerful noise.
How long can beavers hold their breath? ›
Fast Facts
Beavers can swim up to 15 miles per hour and hold their breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
How long can navy seals hold their breath? ›
An average Navy SEAL can hold their breath for 2-3 minutes during underwater exercises, but with proper training, some can extend it to 5 minutes or more.
Which animal can hold their breath for hours? ›
Which Animals Can Hold Their Breath Longest?
| Animal | Category | Duration |
|---|
| Sea Turtles | Reptiles | Up to 7 hours |
| Cuvier's Beaked Whale | Mammal | 3 h 42 min |
| Sperm Whale | Mammal | 2 h |
| Weddell Seal | Mammal | 1 h |
8 more rowsIn water, however, beavers can swim up to 6 mph (10 kilometers per hour). Their oversized lungs allow them to stay submerged for up to 15 minutes while traveling over half a mile.
