gaping mouth

Question
sometimes when i take my turtle out of his tank, he like opens his mouth as if he is trying to bite something. is this healthy? also, i was told that he tried to sleep out of water because his water was too cold, so i adjusted the heat, but he still tries to sleep as out of water as possible. whats wrong?

Answer
Gaping mouth- turtles don't like being picked up. It is trying to scare you into putting it down.

Sleeping 'dry'- do you know the actual water temp? Aim for 75-80 for most turtles. Both too hot or too cold can drive it out.

Just FYI- the basking site should be about 90 during the day. Another FYI is that sleeping 'dry' is not in itself a problem- we are only concerned that it might be trying to signal some other concern.

What species is it? You may wish to review some care issues. Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for ideas.