Interactive gaping?

[Cnochur]

So...here's a mildly funny story that ends with two questions:

Khalisi had just finished eating (her appetite and hunting skills are improving- she's at about 10 crickets a day). My wife was staring at her and sticking her tongue out in an attempt to communicate with the first reptile in her life. This was amusing enough, but after about 5 min of my wife opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue, Khalisi (that's the lizard), started opening HER mouth, sticking her tongue out, and gaping.

Thing is, she wasn't gaping like they do when they're hot. She was standing up tall, opening her mouth, and rotating her head excitedly. She didn't seem scared or threatened; her body language stayed in "comfortable" mode. She just kept following the wife with her eyes and gaping (I swear) AT her. She also threw in an eye bulge at one point (the beardie, not the wife). After that she wouldn't take her eyes off the wife, and came down to the glass to try and further play with her new friend.

So here's the questions.

1. Is it normal, heard of, or generally ok for a beardie to gape in response to human stimuli? Is it playful behavior or might Khalisi feel threatened?

2. Is it normal for a human wife to spend hours ogling a reptile while her husband waits for dinner?

Here is a picture of the event. Khalisi gaping, either furiously or playfully:

 

[jharris08]

this is called "venting" .. its a reptiles way of cooling off naturally by allowing heat to escape out of the mouth...normal behavior

 

[Cnochur]

I'm well aware of venting. What I'm saying is that this was in response to human stimuli and not heat. I'm convinced it's an attempt to communicate.

 

[Jamiedog]

She might be just having some fun! Baby animals do love to play... If she's intelligent enough to realize the giant lizards who feed her don't normally do these things she does, she likes it when your wife acts like she (Khalisi) does! Or maybe, yeah, it's communication, and she's thinking, "Finally, they're starting to understand me! Okay, I'm opening my mouth, just like you - feed me, feed me, feed me! We shall dine together on roaches and worms!"

(I tried to get Wave to do it. She just looked at me like "What in the world is wrong with you, Crazy Source of Food?")

 

[XxMissTiffanyannxX]

My 2 year old beardie does a lot of that gaping stuff too. It's not heat related. He even does it when he's nice and comfy on his favorite pillow on the couch. I think it's a personality quirk. I was really concerned at first. Since, he only does this when he's a happy camper...i take it as a smile.

 

[Cnochur]

Thank you! Confirmation! 8)

 

[Adama]

Ours does the same. Our beardie is my girlfriend's little boy and she can get him to gape, etc to play with her. They share a bit of body language and it's cute.

And yes, entirely normal on the second question. Luckily, I'm the one who does all the cooking and I just get some alone time instead.

 

[ziggy23]

My dragons will tilt their heads in response to our head tiltings. It's really funny when you get them going.

 

[BadCon]

They gape when they feel threatened, or when they are surprised. Though a threatened gape will usually come with a beard extension. What is probably happening is something half-way. He's starting the "threat" response process, but stops halfway for one reason or another. My adult female will sometimes do this. If I surprise her around a corner, I occasionally get a half open mouth. I'm pretty sure its her attempting to fully gape at me, but when she sees its just the normal stupid human that's always there, she stops....leaving her mouth slightly ajar.

What it could also be is a heat venting reflex that's triggered by the rush of endorphins associated with seeing a large predator (you). For example...they are basking, and are just on the verge of needing to open their mouth to vent heat. When you walk by the enclosure, they see you and get a rush of endorphins associated with a threat response. This chemical rush either spikes their temperature just enough to require a venting response, or somehow fools whatever mechanism controls heat regulation. Imagine you are walking by a house, and a large dog comes running at you. Your sympathetic nervous system will kick in and shoot a shot of epinephrine throughout your system. This will in turn increase your heart rate and respiratory rate...in preparation for running away or a confronting the threat (fight or flight). This can and will increase your body temperature slightly, possibly even causing you to sweat. Something similar might be going on with the dragon, but instead of sweating they have to gape...


Or they could be trying to say hello. Who knows?