Your tortoise, just like any other tortoise, will sometimes do very strange things like opening and closing their mouths at off times.
This strange behavior will understandably confuse you as a turtle raiser. This article looks into why your pet may do this.
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Tortoise keeps opening and closing its mouth:
Anything out of the ordinary that your turtle does will quickly catch your attention as a tortoise owner, and for good reason.
Here is why your tortoise keeps opening and closing its mouth:
Something stuck in its mouth:
Tortoises, just like any other animal, can get food stuck in their mouths.
These reptiles are curious animals and may either eat too much food, or, they may eat inedible objects, and these can get stuck in the animal’s throat
Your pet tortoise will open its mouth and close its mouth to try to dislodge the object from its throat.
What to do:
Your pet’s instincts will kick in and make the animal open and close its mouth, this movement will help dislodge the object from the animal’s throat.
Keep an eye on your little pet as it does this, the dislodging process will likely be extremely slow but it will more often than not get the object out.
You can give your pet a warm soak to help get the object out. Your tortoise will hopefully drink some of the water while soaking and this will flush the object down the animal’s throat.
What you should not do is try to reach in and dislodge the object yourself, this could do more harm than good.
Overheating:
Another reason why your pet may be opening and closing its mouth may be because the animal is overheating.
These cold-blooded animals cannot thermoregulate their body temperature, their body temperature is dictated by their environment.
The tortoise’s environment may simply be too hot for it at the moment. Your pet will try to cool down by opening and closing its mouth.
What to do:
If your animal is overheating soak it in some water. Don’t make the water cold as this will bring the tortoise’s body temperature down too quickly
Soak your pet for about 30 minutes, take it out, and then see if it stops opening and closing its mouth.
Respiratory infection:
Another reason why your pet tortoise may be opening and closing its mouth all day may be because it has breathing problems, and this can indicate that your pet has a respiratory infection.
The opening and closing of the mouth helps the reptile suck in a lot of air when needed.
In addition to the opening and closing of the mouth, other signs of a respiratory infection in tortoises include a change in appetite, lethargy, and residue coming from the mouth, nose, or eyes.
What to do:
Unfortunately, there are no home remedies for respiratory infections in tortoises so the only way you can rid your pet of this condition is by taking it to the vet to be examined, diagnosed, and prescribed antibiotics
If you can’t immediately get your pet to the vet you can keep your pet isolated, hydrated, and keep the animal warm but not too hot.
Letting your pet be, for too long, and not taking it to the vet is not advised and the condition can be fatal to tortoises. Respiratory infections can develop into pneumonia or even worse.
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, Red Eared Slider Biting At Air, 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?