Origin The phrase “take a deep breath” takes on a different meaning when you consider that some species of turtles have adopted the skill of breathing through their butts, so to speak. The claim made headlines in November 2019 when “Frozen 2” was released in the U.S. During a long and grueling horse ride through the forest in the film, the charismatic snowman Olaf dropped a handful of scientific truth bombs on Anna – including the claim that turtles breathe through their butts. Life was breathed back into the claim in early May 2021 in a Reddit thread, “What is the weirdest fact you know?”