Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My mali is acting a bit strange all of a sudden. It just started to open it's mouth and breath in and out real heavy. I've had it for about 4 years now and I have never seen it do anything like this before. Is this normal? Maybe I just never noticed.. I would think I would have noticed this before.

I'm just a bit worried.

The temp has not changed, and everything has been the same for the last year save for cleaning the tank (just picking up the feces and whatnot).

The diet has not changed either. Fruits, vegies, some crickets about once a month (coated with calcium).

Custom 150 gallon tank (longer then tall).

Any ideas? Should I be worried?

Sounds like gaping, which is a means of thermoregulation. I think they are just too lazy to move sometimes when they are hot, and gape to cool off.

There's nothing else weird like mucous or wheezing, right?

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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Uromastyx Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.0 Sunset Dwarf Gourami (Sideshow)
0.0.1 False Spotted Corydoras (Spot)
0.0.2 Metae Corydoras (Frank and Jesse)
0.0.2 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie and Dum-Dum)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

No wheezing or mucus at all. In fact it stopped just a few minutes ago. It just sat there slightly under the heat lamp and did it over and over so I got kind of worried.

He/she is shedding at the moment so I thought for second there that it ate some skin when it was eating and perhaps was choking on it.

But I'm pretty sure your right. It was just cooling off.