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Kittelsen t1_j43u05c wrote

Reply to comment by arabsandals in How do giraffes breathe? by NimishApte

So, where does it exit. It would be so awesome to be able to do this, I could be a human fan...

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Sharlinator t1_j4422kh wrote

The avian respiratory system is very different from the mammalian system. Bird lungs don't expand and contract like mammals' do; rather birds have several air sacs that expand and contract in an alternating fashion and push air unidirectionally through the lungs; the lungs have millions of narrow "tubes" where gas exchange occurs, whereas the alveoli in mammalian lungs are "bags" with only one opening.

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Kevin_Uxbridge t1_j45zdp4 wrote

Which is also why they can fly and do just fine at high altitudes where the oxygen gets thin. Amazing creatures, birds.

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thuhrowawa t1_j608oig wrote

It can also serve as an affiliative signal when done in a certain way. You might benefit from giving it a try.

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