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Ive had my red slider for over a year now and just today hes been popping his head out of the water and opening his mouth and making this little yelps ( I thought it was a bird at first). It seems like some kind of turtle call or something?

Is this normal?

Could be a RI or hes just doing it to do it, some animals are like that. My Leopard Geckos do something similar somethimes and theyre fine health wise.

RI?

Its more like a meow sound like a cat

RI=respiratory infection.

Is your turt swimming lopsided or having trouble submerging? How do the eyes look?

He is swimming fine, submerging fine, eyes are good, hes eating too.

Can you describe his set up and diet?
Pictures would be great.

MoreBloodWine wrote:Could be a RI or hes just doing it to do it, some animals are like that. My Leopard Geckos do something similar somethimes and theyre fine health wise.

turtles dont have vocal cords so apart from the occational hiss ( which is acctually air being forced out really fast from their lungs) any "noise" is a potentially dangerous situation becasue it usualluy means RI.

IOzo- your turt still might ( if it is RI) be in the early stages yet. shortly after i had gotten Rolo she got RI but luckily i caught it really early. she was making noises like how sometimes cats snore. otherwise she was fine.

Ok I'm just going to assume its RI. What actions should I take?

RI usually leads to death.
ation clipped from Health / Respiratory Infections
Respiratory infections (RI) are common and deadly illnesses that affect many captive turtles. It is a contagious illness that can spread to other turtles and often requires medical attention. Improper basking and water temperatures as well as exposure to drafts and breezes greatly increase the chances of contracting RI. There are varying degrees of RI, including pneumonia, and the symptoms may also differ.

The most obvious symptom that can signal RI is if a RES is listing. Listing refers to swimming in an irregular manner, such as swimming in circles, unevenly or lopsided and even swimming upside down. Listing is caused by fluid in the lungs; more specifically, if fluid exists in one lung or there is more fluid in one lung than the other. Your RES requires immediate veterinary assistance if they exhibit this symptom. They may have RI but not this symptom. The sooner that they are examined, the better the chance they can recover. They would likely be administered Baytril or another anti-infective. A vitamin injection, antibiotics and an x-ray may also be used or suggested.

There are other possible symptoms that can signal RI, especially if they occur frequently. These may include breathing difficulties, coughing, sneezing, open mouth, yawning, wheezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, mucus from the nose (runny) or mouth and bubbling at the nose and mouth. If your RES exhibits any of these symptoms, then raising temperatures, quarantine and a water change would be the immediate actions to take. Ambient air temperature and water temperature should be raised 10 degrees F. Eliminate any drafts and cold air around the tank. Pneumonia may develop which in many cases is fatal. If your RES continues to exhibit a symptom or develops more, then consult with a qualified vet immediately.

Read over that and tell me if your turt has any similar symptoms.

I-zo -- Yep! Any time a turtle makes a noise through thier mouth it most likely having a difficult time breathing. Sometimes thier nose gets stopped up and they have to breath through their mouth. I would suggest that you pay attention to your temps. I would suggest that you raise the water temp to about 80 degrees for a while and see how that does. Your basking temp should be around 90 to 91 degrees. Good Luck!! m.

Usually leads to death???

The only symptom is he has sometimes come out the water an opened his mouth. But hes underwater most of the time.

Im going into the pet store to get a stronger basking light.

l0zo wrote:Usually leads to death???

The only symptom is he has sometimes come out the water an opened his mouth. But hes underwater most of the time.

Im going into the pet store to get a stronger basking light.

First, lets not lead or jump to conclusions. A clicking or croaking noise is not necessarily a symptom of RI or anything else. Generally, some serious symptoms to look out for are listing, mucus, softshell, odor. If there are no other symptoms, or change in behavior, then I'd just double check to make sure you are proving a good habitat.

Can you tell us more about your setup?

Thats why I was saying, Look over the symptoms.. If he wasn't experiencing any others than its probably not RI.