Turtles have a cloaca, which is essentially their butt, that has a lot of blood vessels, so the most efficient way to get oxygen is through the cloaca, hence the term cloacal respiration.

Do turtles have lungs or gills?

Just like other reptiles, sea turtles have lungs. They have a slightly different structure than mammalian lungs, but work just as well when it comes to exchanging gases (oxygen and carbondioxide).

Where are turtles lungs located?

Turtles are also almost always “belly down,” and their lungs are found in the upper half of their shell while their guts are in the lower half.