General Care Discussion :: RES opens mouth when I pick her up

[enz660]

I recorded a video of it... its roughly half way into the video. I wanted to show you in the first half that she is healthy and moving and full of life! I pick her up and her mouth is open. I wanted you more experienced members to tell me if its RI or no? Thanks!

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PTOcBqffNQ

[rsour24]

it means she is getting upset and doesnt like being picked up

[Love of Animals]

I second that.

[Tokapeli]

thats what i was thinking too, its weird that she isnt kicking her legs around and squirming though, Kaya has done that a few times when shes exceptionally cranky, but its usually accompanied by her trying to pry herself out of my hands with her hind legs (man they are strong when they grow up!)

[enz660]

yeah she sometimes does that... she was well behaved in that video.

[Touche the Turtle]

My RES gets upset when I clean her shell- she opens her mouth as wide as she can muster and like hisses when the tooth brush gets close to her.

[mdawson808]

Anyone ever been bit by their turtle? I wonder how nasty that bite is. My turtles seem to try and bite me every time I move them from their tank.

[rsour24]

being bit hurts a lot

[Trevor's_Mom]

I've never been bit by Trevor in all his 18 years (knock on wood) but my husband has, once, and judging by his screaming when it happened, it hurt A LOT.

Trevor also opens his mouth and hisses, snapping at the air sometimes, when I hold him to clean his shell or am taking him out of the tank into a rubbermaid to clean his tank. I make little clicking noises (ever since he was a baby) with my tongue on the roof of my mouth and it's always seemed to calm him down.

[Tholapsyx]

Mine does that too and its quite obvious cause he only does that when i hold him...sometimes i wish he didn't feel stressed but i can't do anything about it ,can i?

[Linus]

Ya the mouth is all just them saying that they'll fight back if you try to eat them. And don't get bit, it won't be fun...

[steve]

Last week I had my hand in the tank for only a few seconds to adjust the heater position and was bitten on my knuckle. I was surprised to have been bitten that quickly (they usually like to look and sniff at anything new to the tank). That quick bite was enough to break skin in two places

[Lizzy]

My RES, named Wilson, has hissed when picked up until he sees it's me. I can hold him, talk to him and rub the top of his head. It seems to calm him down. Sometimes if I lift him to fast and he doesn't see me, he will open his mouth and hiss. He hates going into a small container while I clean his tank, but oh well, he must have a clean environment.

[Touche the Turtle]

My RES, named Wilson, has hissed when picked up until he sees it's me. I can hold him, talk to him and rub the top of his head. It seems to calm him down. Sometimes if I lift him to fast and he doesn't see me, he will open his mouth and hiss. He hates going into a small container while I clean his tank, but oh well, he must have a clean environment.

That sounds about right. My turtle gets mad after I clean her tank, and shows me by dragging around the logs in her tank, and shoveling dirt/sand back into the nice clean water. I imagine her throwing a tantrum like a little kid.