{"id":358296,"date":"2026-04-01T08:47:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/358296\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T08:47:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:47:26","slug":"from-anal-ventilators-to-boiling-toxic-fart-machines-10-weirdest-and-deadliest-bottoms-on-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/358296\/","title":{"rendered":"From anal ventilators to boiling, toxic fart machines: 10 weirdest and deadliest bottoms on the planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

We might lead from the front, but our back ends are anything but boring. Across the animal kingdom, butts have bizarre and sometimes life-saving roles. <\/p>\n

From launching toxic sprays and poisonous guts to breathing underwater or growing entirely new body parts, these animal butts are some of the weirdest \u2013\u00a0and most surprising \u2013\u00a0adaptations.<\/p>\n

Weirdest bottoms in the animal kingdom<\/p>\n

Find out which off these butts earned their owners a spot on our weirdest sea creatures list<\/a> \u2013 or, better yet, our weirdest animals list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Giant California sea cucumber: breathes and eats out of its butt<\/p>\n

The giant California sea cucumber can breathe and eat through its butt<\/a>. It\u2019s what\u2019s known as an anal ventilator \u2013\u00a0it pumps seawater in and out of its butt to introduce oxygen into the structures in its large intestine, which absorb it directly from the water.<\/p>\n

\"AThe giant California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus or Apostichopus californicus) is a sea cucumber that can be found from the Gulf of Alaska to Southern California (credit: Getty Images)
\nHolothuroid sea cucumber: ejects its poisonous stomach out of its butt<\/p>\n

Fascinatingly, this spineless, squishy invertebrate can fire its own intestines and stomach out of its anus to deter predators. Its innards are laced with poison, helping to keep threats at bay. If the attack continues, the holothuroid sea cucumber<\/a> can even explode itself, releasing toxins.<\/p>\n

\"AnA sea cucumber (credit: Getty Images)
\nAnanteris balzanii scorpion: loses its butt to escape predators<\/p>\n

Like many lizards, this rare South American species of scorpion can drop its own tail to escape predators. But while lizards retain their anuses during this process, this scorpion loses its butt along with its tail.<\/p>\n

Wombat: can crush skulls with its butt<\/p>\n

A wombat<\/a>\u2019s rump is hard as rock, helping it burrow and defend itself. It can even crush the skulls of its enemies if needed. Its anuses are also unusual\u2014the Australian marsupial famously produces cube-shaped poop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"TheA wild wombat in Tasmania (credit: Getty Images)
\nFroghopper: can blow spit out of its butt<\/p>\n

Froghoppers can create a foamy white substance known as \u201ccuckoo spit<\/a>\u201d\u2014but surprisingly, it\u2019s produced from their rear ends. This foam offers protection and helps them stay hydrated. Froghoppers are sap-sucking true bugs, a group of insects<\/a> that feed on plant sap.<\/p>\n

\"AA Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius) also called spittlebug or cuckoo spit insect on the stem of a plant with its spittle, which acts as protection for this bug (credit: Getty Images)
\nBombardier beetle: sprays a boiling-hot, toxic spray out of its butt<\/p>\n

When under threat, the bombardier beetle<\/a> ejects a boiling-hot, toxic spray from its butt at attackers. This chemical defence is produced by a reaction between two compounds stored in pygidial glands in the beetle\u2019s abdomen. Heat from the reaction brings the spray close to the boiling point of water.<\/p>\n

Bombardier beetle sprays boiling fluid from its abdomen (credit: Getty)
\nRamisyllis multicaudata\u00a0worm: multiple butts grow their own brain and eyes<\/p>\n

This fascinating marine worm has multiple butts, with a single head leading into dozens of branching bodies, each ending in its very own rear end. Even stranger\u2014each of these butts can begin building heads that contain a rudimentary brain and four eyes.<\/p>\n

Pig: breathes through its butt<\/p>\n

Scientists have shown that pigs sitting in artificial fluids are capable of \u201centeral ventilation via anus\u201d \u2013\u00a0breathing through their butts<\/a>. More studies are needed, but it\u2019s definitely an intriguing concept.<\/p>\n

\"ThreePigs, from behind (credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We might lead from the front, but our back ends are anything but boring. Across the animal kingdom,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[111,139,69,147,406],"class_list":["post-358296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}