Snapping noise

Question
My red eared slider keeps making this snapping noise. He's never done it before but for a couple of weeks now he does it a lot! He'll stick his head above the water and make a biting motion and a snapping noise that goes along with it. The last time I cleaned his tank, when I picked him up he tried biting me. Should I be conserned about all these things?? What does him snapping mean??

Answer
Hi Ricki,

Yawning/gaping, along with wheezing and other noises, can mean a respiratory infection, and I suspect that what you're seeing is actually not snapping, but your turtle stretching his neck out and gaping in an effort to breathe better.  Watch for these symptoms:  lethargy, lack of appetite, runny nose, wheezing, coughing, yawning/gaping, stretching the neck out to breathe, swimming lopsidedly (tilted), reluctance to swim.  If you see those symptoms, you need to get your turtle to a vet for treatment.   

RES do bite, especially when they're excited about food, so watch for that.  It's not a cause for concern except that if your turtle does bite you it'll hurt!  Just be careful in handling and feeding and you should be all right.