5 animals that breathe through their skin (and why can’t humans do the same)
Published on: April 28, 2026, 7:11 a.m. | Source: Times of India
When we think about breathing, lungs and noses typically come to mind. But in the animal world, things are slightly unusual. A handful of creatures don’t bother with lungs; instead, they breathe right through their skin. For the unversed, it’s called cutaneous respiration, and it lets them absorb oxygen straight through their body walls while getting rid of carbon dioxide the same way. No lungs, no gills. It sounds strange, but for these animals, it’s just daily life.However, for skin breathing to work, the skin has to be thin, moist, and loaded with tiny blood vessels near the surface. Oxygen dissolves in the moisture, then slides into the blood underneath. Dry skin? Game over! This is why these animals mostly stick to damp places or underground. Small body size helps, too; more skin per ounce means more oxygen squeezed in.Here, we jot down five animals that breathe through their skin and how they pull it off.
