tortoise breathing

so you know that there is a new herman's tortoise in the household. the question is, how hard does a tortoise normally breathe?

as this is my first tortoise i am still learning about him and of course being quite paranoid. :rolleyes: it seems like he is breathing kind of hard... i've looked up tortoise respiratory infections and ailments and they all point to a runny nose as the first visible sign--he definitely doesn't have a runny nose, i can't hear him breathing and can't see any bubbles or mucus in his mouth (but didn't really get that good of a look). he doesn't seem to breathe as hard when he is sleeping (but i guess this is normal of most animals).

so...anyone have any insight? am i just being a paranoid new owner?

If you can't hear him breathing and there is no mucous, he's probably just scared or excited. My box turtles will breathe a bit harder if I pick them up or startle them:)