What is my baby doing with her throat?

[Floomby]

Does her throat itch? Does she think she is a frog? Is she trying to swallow a piece of bubblegum? Does she hate me and is trying to terrify me with this threatening gesture? Is she suffering from some disease that I caused due to my bumbling inexperience? Please advise...thank you.

Floomby

 

[G-stars]

Perfectly normal. She's just breathing.


— Gus

 

[THBfriend]

Does she think she is a frog?

Fun fact: that's the reason why the general word for "turtle" (including tortoise) in many Germanic languages (German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, ...) literally means "shield toad".
Like Gus said, it's perfectly normal, that's one of the ways they breathe. Because of their rigid shell they can't expand and contract their ribcage to pump air in and out of their lungs. So they use muscles at the base of the tongue / hyoid bone. Another way is to use contractions of the front legs to pump air. This video of mine shows both modes quite nicely:

 

[Floomby]

Perfectly normal. She's just breathing.


— Gus

Lol...not that I'm a helicopter parent or anything ...

 

[tortdad]

Aaaahhhhh she's trying to eat you!!!!!


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Floomby]

Aaaahhhhh she's trying to eat you!!!!!


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

Well then that's cool.

 

[AmRoKo]

She is fat lil piggy and needs more food!

 

[Floomby]

Fun fact: that's the reason why the general word for "turtle" (including tortoise) in many Germanic languages (German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, ...) literally means "shield toad".
Like Gus said, it's perfectly normal, that's one of the ways they breathe. Because of their rigid shell they can't expand and contract their ribcage to pump air in and out of their lungs. So they use muscles at the base of the tongue / hyoid bone. Another way is to use contractions of the front legs to pump air.

Thank you, very informative! In other news, you tortoise is adorable.

 

[Floomby]

She is fat lil piggy and needs more food!

Because the chia micro farm, Mazuari tortoise chow, and organic dandelion leaves just aren't cutting it.

 

[Alaskamike]

This is just too cute

 

[TheNorwegian]

Fun fact: that's the reason why the general word for "turtle" (including tortoise) in many Germanic languages (German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, ...) literally means "shield toad".
Like Gus said, it's perfectly normal, that's one of the ways they breathe. Because of their rigid shell they can't expand and contract their ribcage to pump air in and out of their lungs. So they use muscles at the base of the tongue / hyoid bone. Another way is to use contractions of the front legs to pump air. This video of mine shows both modes quite nicely:

That's awesome! I have noticed these movements. I always understood it had something to do with their breathing, but not more than that. Awesome info, thank you!

And yes, in Norway turtles and tortoises are called skilpadde. I don't know the meaning of "skil", but it sounds like its a version of, or related to the norwegian words "skall" or "skjold", which means "shell" and "shield". Padde means toad Tortoise = Skilpadde = Shelltoad

 

[bouaboua]

We learn some thing new here everyday. Just so wonderful.