tortoise breathing

[mlededee]

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. 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?

[jenaero]

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