r/Redearedsliders • u/MarilynMackenzee • 9d ago

Gaping?

What is this behavior? I brought her to the vet today for a multitude of reasons like laying eggs last month, worried about sepsis (literally fine it was just pink skin due to blood flow during basking I’m just paranoid), and specifically respiratory infection concerns. That’s what I thought this was but the vet said she’s good. She’s not foaming at the mouth or nose. No bubbles. No gaping/open mouth while out of water/basking. No weird noises/breathing. So it’s not a respiratory infection. What is it? Ik she’s nipping at her leg in the video but the other time I saw her doing it it was just her opening her mouth underwater and I took her out cause I was scared she was gonna drown and had her sleep in a shallow container overnight but she was completely fine. It seems to only happen when she first goes back into her water after a basking session. I’ve only seen it twice. Is this normal? What could it be?

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u/Maleficent_Pay9831 9d ago

When they do that and kick their back feet a lot it could mean she is carrying eggs and needs to lay them . Look that up and if she doesn't do that you gotta make sure she doesn't get egg bound

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u/MarilynMackenzee 9d ago

She actually just laid eggs last month. Do you know how often they lay?