It’s typical for turtles to puff up their throats. It’s just their way of sniffing the air and breathing. When Spot is about to be fed, he puffs up his throat.
Fun fact: that’s the reason why the general word for “turtle” (including tortoise) in many Germanic languages (German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, …) literally means “shield toad
As a result, they rely on the muscles at the base of the tongue and the hyoid bone. Another method is to employ front leg contractions to pump air.
They do it because it acts as a diaphragm to enhance their breathing. They are, after all, encased in a hard shell, which makes breathing a little strange for them. It’s something Rolo does all the time, and I think it’s cute. When they are breathing normally, their throat goes in and out slightly. When their throat puffs out, it looks like they are taking a deep breath. Sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh.
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What Does It Mean When A Turtle Puffs Its Throat?
I’m glad to hear your slider is doing well after his RI. To stay afloat, turtles inflate their throats with air. That is typical behavior. You can see proof of this here:
It’s not a problem as long as he deflates as well as inflates his throat. If he inflates it and it doesn’t deflate, that could be a sign of a problem. What you’ve described appears to be normal.
That’s fantastic! These movements have caught my attention. I always assumed it had something to do with their breathing, but nothing more. Thank you for this fantastic information!
And yes, in Norway turtles and tortoises are called skilpadde. I don’t know the meaning of “skil”, but it sounds like its a version of, or related to the norwegian words “skall” or “skjold”, which means “shell” and “shield”. Padde means toad 🙂 Tortoise = Skilpadde = Shelltoad
Why Do Turtles Puff Their Throats?
They do this to aid their breathing, similar to a diaphragm. After all, they are encased in a hard shell, which makes breathing difficult for them. It’s something Rolo does all the time, and I think it’s cute. If you watch them closely, you’ll notice that their throat goes in and out slightly when they’re breathing normally, and when their throat puffs out, it’s like they’re taking a deep breath. Sigh! a turtle!
Why Does My Turtle Puff His Neck?
That’s normal behavior… they’ll bloat it out more or less depending on the situation. I believe he is simply drawing in air. Is your turtle acting any differently?
It’s fine if he does it while floating on the water’s surface. There are some issues if it happens all the time, even when it’s basking. That happened to me about a month ago with a spotted. Several times, I thought it was dead. Bloat throat was the nickname I gave it. It is now fine following treatment.
What Does It Mean When A Turtle Moves His Throat?
I think he is just drawing in air.
Why Does My Turtle Move His Throat?
They do this to aid their breathing, similar to a diaphragm. After all, they are encased in a hard shell, which makes breathing difficult for them. It’s something Rolo does all the time, and I think it’s cute. If you watch them closely, you’ll notice that their throat goes in and out slightly when they’re breathing normally, and when their throat puffs out, it’s like they’re taking a deep breath. Sigh! a turtle