Water anole breathes under water with aid of bubble to escape predators

The bubble created by the water anole enables the little lizard to extend its “dive” time.

“We know that they can stay underwater for a really long time. We also know that they’re pulling oxygen from this bubble of air,”  Assistant Research Prof. Lindsey Swierk (Binghamton University, State University of New York) said in a Binghamton University story detailing her findings. “We didn’t know whether there was actually any functional role for this bubble in respiration. Is it something that lizards do that is just a side effect of their skin’s properties or a respiratory reflex, or is this bubble actually allowing them to stay underwater longer than they would, say, without a bubble?”