Russian Tortiose

Question
My russian tortoise's throat is going in and out kind of like a bull frog, I don't know if she is just breathing or if something is wrong. She is active and LOVES to eat. She is only about 4 inches long right now. Her habitat is 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. I use half coconut fiber, and half aspen where the basking light and UVB bulb are. The humid side is 65 degrees, and the side with the basking light is 90 degrees. The UVB bulb is a 10.0 being 26W. The basking light is 150W. I just got her 3 days ago, and we haven't been to a vet. I give her a spring mix, and she chows it down. I also take her outside when it is hot out and she grazes outside on weeds. I soaked her yesterday, and I will again tomorrow. She is sleeping right now, but she ate yesterday around 2, and was outside for about an hour from 4-5. She went to the bathroom during her soaking yesterday, and also while she was outside. She hasn't shed. I bought her from Petco. I put Rep-Cal on her food. It is a powder. I also have a cuttlebone in her cage. No other animals are living with her. I would just like to know if this throat/breathing thing is normal?
- Thank you.

Answer
It's normal in that many reptiles, including turtles and tortoises, do it from time to time. It may or may not be indicative of an issue, depending on how chronic it is and if it subsides with rest. The bottom line is, that it depends on why your tortoise is doing it, and other factors have to be considered.

It is seen most often when a reptile is slightly winded, but is also chronically seen when the reptile is sick, stressed, or having some difficulty breathing/with environmental conditions. When they are at rest the movement of their limbs and contractions of internal muscles will provide all the inspiration force they need to draw in air. If their oxygen requirements are increased for some reason, they may begin to pump the head and neck as well. If they are very stressed, sick, or overheated they will also open the mouth to breath, and this is usually a very bad sign and the reptile should be taken to a competent reptile vet right away. It may be suffering heat stress, respiratory infection, gastrointestinal infection/inflammation, impaction, or egg binding.


In your case, I'm most concerned that you have a habitat for this tortoise which is only 4 inch by 2 inch. That is an extreme welfare concern in my opinion. A good pet store employee would not have let you out of the store without you buying a decent sized terrarium also. That critter keeper you have the tortoise in is for TRANSPORT, not living quarters.

Additionally you are using a 150W basking lamp over such a small terrarium, and this would indeed cause problems for the tortoise, and worst case scenario, kill it of heat stress. It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to have a proper thermal or humidity gradient in what amounts to the size of a tupperware container.

You need to get the tortoise a SUITABLE habitat right now, before you kill it. A 4x2" box with a 150w heat lamp over it = impending death.

See the links below and do websearches for "tortoise table".  


http://www.russiantortoise.org/