What is this?

[Grixxly15]

I was giving Hunter a bath today and he had his mouth open. I've seen this before and wondered what it is but today I feel like finding out. Right below his tongue there is this weird almost tube like thing that had an opening. I could see it kind of contracting kind of like it was opening and closing. My guess is that this is the gland that produces the sticky substance in their mouths but I just want to make sure. :study:

 

[grimeden]

Your Beardie was venting. Since reptiles don't sweat, to release heat they open their mouths and vent.

 

[herpfreak]

That would be the trachea. I don't know the first thing about beardie mouth anatomy, but I'm a pro with snake mouth anatomy, due to giving a large ball python meds on multiple occasions. :shock: Not a fun ordeal, but anyways, the tube-like thing you described is the trachea; the organ that brings oxygen to the lungs / excretes CO2.

 

[Grixxly15]

That would be the trachea. I don't know the first thing about beardie mouth anatomy, but I'm a pro with snake mouth anatomy, due to giving a large ball python meds on multiple occasions. :shock: Not a fun ordeal, but anyways, the tube-like thing you described is the trachea; the organ that brings oxygen to the lungs / excretes CO2.

So they don't breathe like we do though down the throat? Makes sense when consuming larger pray.

 

[herpfreak]

Yep. They breathe the same way we do, it's just that their trachea and esophagus ("food tube") are in different places, ours are right next to each other.