Turles, like the red-eared slider, may not have teeth but these animals can bite food and people, you may become confused as to why your red-eared slider starts biting the air.
This is a look into why your turtle is doing this
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Red-eared slider biting at air:
Biting of any kind, whether the turtle is biting at you or biting at the air, will make you perk up and wonder why this is happening
Here is why your red-eared slider may be biting at the air:
To much light:
One common, and odd, reason why your turtle may be biting may be because the basking bulb that it is under is too bright.
If your pet doesn’t like how brightly the light in its enclosure is shining then it may start biting at the air in a sort of retaliation
If your pet doesn’t seem to be exhibiting any signs of distress or sickness along with the biting then the light may be the problem.
What to do:
If this behavior started in your pet soon after getting a new bulb in the enclosure then try turning the bulb off for a few hours to see how the reptile reacts.
If your pet stops biting once you switch the light off then the intensity of the light is the problem and you can raise the lamp higher so the light isn’t too intense in the enclosure.
You can, as a longer-term solution, get a lower-intensity light that still emits enough heat and UV rays.
Dehydration/heat stroke:
Another reason why your little pet may be biting at the air may be because it is dehydrated or is suffering from heat stroke.
If your pet is basking for a long amount of time, and forgets to get into the water, then it can become dehydrated and start biting the air
Your pet will bite to release heat if it is overheating. Turtles can’t thermoregulate their own body temperature so they will open and close their mouth as a way of cooling off.
What to do:
Getting your pet into some water will solve both the dehydration issue and the overheating issue.
You don’t want to drop your pet’s body temperature too quickly so leaving it in warm, not cold, water for 30 minutes should help
Take the animal out after the soak and then monitor your pet to see if it stops biting.
Respiratory infection:
Any time a turtle opens and closes its mouth consistently, and at random, one would have to check whether the animal has a respiratory infection.
This condition will cause your pet to develop other symptoms like discharge from the nostrils, a runny nose, bubbles coming out of the nostrils, a loss of appetite, lethargy, and difficulty breathing.
This condition is actually quite common in turtles and will develop if your pet is kept in inadequate housing.
Respiratory infections can develop into pneumonia so diagnosing and treating your pet is important.
What to do:
The only treatment for a respiratory infection in turtles are antibiotics. You’d need to take your pet to the vet for a diagnosis and to be prescribed antibiotics.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Red-Eared Slider Breathing Heavily, Turtle Blowing Bubbles Out Of His Mouth, Tortoise Keeps Opening And Closing Its Mouth, Why Does My Turtle Open Its Mouth When I Pick It Up?, Turtle Opening Mouth While Basking, Why Does My Turtle Open Its Mouth Underwater?, Why Is My Turtle Shell Turning Brown?