Yawn or jaw realignment?

[mascutt]

Any thoughts on leopard geckos opening and closing of mouth? I've seen about 50% say it is a yawn, and another 50% say they do that to realign their jaw after eating? What are your thoughts?

David

 

[Keitone]

I don't have any scientific data to back this up, but I wouldn't say they yawn like you or I do. I would suppose that it's more of a muscle stretching or something like that. Just my .02

 

[mascutt]

That makes sense. I also considered it might have something to do with shedding. My leo did it for a few days before her last shed. Now she has started again, plus her color is starting to dull. If they are stretching muscles, it might be that their muscles feel tight just before the old skin comes off????? Just a theory

 

[Keitone]

IDK. I would assume that when they are ready to shed the old skin would lose some of its elasticity. Maybe its a way of loosening the skin around the head so they start to shed? Just brainstorming.

 

[mascutt]

That's what I meant You just said it better hehe

 

[Shera]

One of mine does it every now and then. It's never been around when she's eaten. I haven't paid attention to if it was just before a shed, but I'll keep an eye out for it now. She does have difficulty shedding, especially around her head.

 

[StatikStepz]

I have one that does it every time after eating, and some that i have never even seen do it, and a few that do it when they are waking up or bout to sleep. So i don't know.

As far as it being the gecko "realigning" it's jaw after eating, i don't think this is the reason why... for 2 reasons. One, a gecko's jaw does not unhinge like a snake when eating. Actually, i may be incorrect on this, and someone correct me if i am, but i do not think that any lizards actually unhinge their jaws to eat.... or even can for that matter. And 2, lets say your gecko eats mealworms... a gecko does not have to open it's jaw much at all to eat a mealworm. Think of how wide a mealworm actually is, and compare that to how wide the gecko can actually open it's mouth when you see it "yawning". I think it may just be a yawn, but who knows. Or maybe its just a way to help them swallow food by straightening out their esophogus(sp?).

I dunno, lol.

 

[Tony C]

As far as it being the gecko "realigning" it's jaw after eating, i don't think this is the reason why... for 2 reasons. One, a gecko's jaw does not unhinge like a snake when eating. Actually, i may be incorrect on this, and someone correct me if i am, but i do not think that any lizards actually unhinge their jaws to eat.... or even can for that matter.

As far as I know that is correct.

 

[mascutt]

I did not think they unhinged either - at least not according to the research I did. At first I thought it was a yawn, but at the same time I can't attribute a lizard yawning as we do (don't know why). But I am going to wait and see if she does shed in the next day or so. If she does, I might just have to consider the action (at least for Lola) as a prelude to a shed. hehehe sounds like a movie "Prelude to a shed"

 

[StatikStepz]

well, all a yawn is (when we do it, anyway), is just our brain saying it needs more oxygen... so why couldn't that be the same for a reptile? Dogs, cats, and birds all do it aswell... so who knows... could be that reptiles do it aswell?

...This is just kind of a crazy conversation to be having altogether, I think. lol

 

[mascutt]

It's official (for me). Lola is definitely shedding. I woke up this morning and found her in her wet hide (which she never uses). When I got her out, she is all white and dry looking. Last time she appeared this way, she shed the same day she turned. So I am definitely thinking the yawning action is some kind of pre-shed means of loosening the skin around the neck and head.

 

[Riyo]

Meh, I've seen mine yawning after shedding too.. (A few days after).

I would think it is a similar function to our own yawning, like StatikStepz said, with intaking more oxygen.

 

[mascutt]

LOL definitely crazy conversation! But fun. If my yawned all the time, I would think that, but she doesn't. That's why it seems unlikely (just to me.... not saying that because I think something means it's fact). But when she does it, she does it for a couple days... then nothing. And now both times I've seen this yawning activity has preceded a shed. But obviously I've had her only 1 month... so I might need to watch it over a longer period of time... twice could just be coincidence

 

[Shera]

Mine did it again this morning and she shed about a week ago, so it has nothing to do with shedding for her.

 

[Chipkali]

I've never really thought to look before but last night she yawned and I laughed to myself because I remembered this post. Lo and behold I woke up this morning and she is going into shed. So maybe, who knows?

 

[leolover23]

okay, im not really sure, but just throwing it out there...aren't one of the symptoms for respiratory infections/diseases a lot of panting and a lot of the gecko having it's mouth open? Not saying this is something like that, but just something to make sure of, y'know?