# Do tortoises hear?



## Candy (Apr 18, 2009)

I was wondering if Dale hears or not. I mentioned this on another thread and Kate responded that she's heard they don't is this true? Dale doesn't seem to be bothered by sudden noises only movements or like Kate (Trevors mom) said vibrations. Do your tortoise seem to be able to hear? Candy


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## Yvonne G (Apr 18, 2009)

I had heard many, many years ago, that turtles and tortoises don't hear sounds like we do, but more hear and feel the vibrations of the sounds. And I've always believed that. However, I have talked to many, many, many people who swear that their tortoise comes to them when they call his name. I don't know if there's any scientific evidence, but I'm sure interested to know for sure.

Yvonne

Just for kicks, I went to GOOGLE and typed in "Do Tortoises hear?" Quite a few answers came back for some very interesting reading. But the best answer came from Madkins0 (I think Madkins is a member here too) and I've copied/paste it here:

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
They have ears, and they are fairly well developed- they just have a tympanic membrane on the outside.

Having said that, the research on their hearing is a bit confusing. In general, they do not show reactions to most sounds, but more and more research suggests that there are specific noises and/or frequencies they do both hear and respond to.

You have to figure that few of their enemies use noise, and they do not use hearing to hunt, find mates, etc.

In fact, turtles and tortoises rarely make noise other than simple 'grunts' when they pull their heads in quickly or something.

They make a few simple noises in combat, mating, and a few other times.

Now, it appears that many turtles and tortoises MAY be making very low frequency noises at various times for various reasons. We discovered that crocs and elephants use ultra-or sub-sonics as a major part of their communications, it is possible that turtles do as well.

If true, then it is likely that the speech and hearing is geared for these frequencies- and we just have not researched them enough yet to know.

LA's comment about the whistle is typical- we know tortoises learn to recognize their feeders, we know they are about as quick to figure things out as a pet rat is (which is pretty good!), and we know that they can hear/feel certain vibrations well.

So- what is triggering LA's tortoises? The sight of their feeder? The vibration of the whistle? The part of the whistle's sound that IS in their hearing/response range? (Remember- whistles are famous for giving off a whole range of frequencies).

This is just not scientific enough yet to use for proof one way or the other.


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## Candy (Apr 18, 2009)

Thanks Yvonne for that information. That's actually what Kate had said on another thread today (about the membrane). I'm going to start my own research on Dale and see what he really reacts to. Candy


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## Chucky (Apr 18, 2009)

No need to guess any more. Here's proof they can hear, well at least music.


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## Candy (Apr 18, 2009)

Wow Chucky cool video. Does he come out to eat if there's no music or just when it's on?


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## Stazz (Apr 18, 2009)

hahaha thats a really cool video !!

Oh and very very interesting info ! I always wonder if Tallula can hear me...as I talk to her all the time


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## Chucky (Apr 19, 2009)

All of the torts I got as hatchlings will come out when they hear the music. If I don't play music, they will come out eventually but not as fast if they hear the music. I even tested it once by sneaking into the room and placing the food where they could not see me or the food. When the music played, they instantly came out but went to where the food usually was


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## richalisoviejo (Apr 19, 2009)

I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know about hearing but I know my Sulcata has a great sense of smell.

About a month ago my cat coughed up a hairball on the rug in the living room. Ever time Henry is out and walking around he goes to that same spot sits there for ten minutes sniffing the rug.


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## bettinge (Apr 19, 2009)

I'm not sure if its the vibration or the noise, but when I tap on the wood enclosure when there is new food, the little guy usually comes running......


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## Candy (Apr 19, 2009)

Chucky said:


> All of the torts I got as hatchlings will come out when they hear the music. If I don't play music, they will come out eventually but not as fast if they hear the music. I even tested it once by sneaking into the room and placing the food where they could not see me or the food. When the music played, they instantly came out but went to where the food usually was



Now you make me wonder if it's the music or the vibrations that the music makes. Just another question to wonder about. Rich try dabbing some vinegar on the spot and see if Henry still smells it or not.


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## tortoisenerd (Apr 19, 2009)

I agree that the music doesn't necessarily break the vibration only theory, as music is mostly vibration. Most deaf people can "hear" music in a sense; they can feel the different vibrations it makes.

Trevor can either hear us or sees us from above as when we're near his enclosure he looks up. He also has a strong food association with us.  I was scratching his neck the other day and he decided to try and eat my finger. Both were cute though. I'll just have to be careful when he's big enough to actually bite my finger.


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## richalisoviejo (Apr 19, 2009)

Candy said:


> Chucky said:
> 
> 
> > Rich try dabbing some vinegar on the spot and see if Henry still smells it or not.
> ...


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## Madkins007 (Apr 22, 2009)

emysemys said:


> I had heard many, many years ago, that turtles and tortoises don't hear sounds like we do, but more hear and feel the vibrations of the sounds. And I've always believed that. However, I have talked to many, many, many people who swear that their tortoise comes to them when they call his name. I don't know if there's any scientific evidence, but I'm sure interested to know for sure.
> 
> Yvonne
> 
> ...





Wow- thanks, Yvonne! I am honored you appreciate my post! I have done a lot of research on this topic and it can drive ya nuts if you are not a scientist- and I certainly am not.

As you guys have suggested, it is hard to separate audio and vibration, and it gets even tougher when there are sight and scent cues as well. Does the tortoise go to a specific spot because it remembers food was there, saw it there, smelled it there, heard you place it there, or felt you place it there?

Most learning is 'holographic' in the sense that we combine multiple inputs, then the memory can be triggered by any of the inputs alone. If you have a strongly emotional moment when listening to music and smelling something unique, the music or the smell can trigger the emotion again. There is no reason to believe that tortoises do not do the same thing.



By the way- as a simple experiment, if I stand in the pen outside and a tortoise approaches my foot, I can talk all I want and it ignores me. Move softly and it ignores me. Tap the ground with my foot from behind it and it pulls in. Yelling also triggers pulling in- but is it the yell or the bigger vibration doing it?


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## Isa (Apr 23, 2009)

Wow, it is a really intersting thread with a lof of very helpful info. Usually, when I talk to Hermy, he looks up at me, Now I am not sure if it is the vibration that my voice create or my voice itself. Sometimes, when he is sleeping, I go in his room and just look at him and most of the times, he wakes up, maybe it is his instinc and he feels a presence in his room.


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## Stazz (Apr 23, 2009)

Well I am almost sure Tallula wakes up with my alarm before I do haha


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## aktech23 (Apr 23, 2009)

My sulcata comes out when you call his name. He'll come out of hiding. Give him two or three minuets and there he is.

More so with my wife then with me, but she's the one that will have a treat.


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## Madortoise (Aug 11, 2009)

This is kind of an old post but thought I'd chime in.
Today, I dropped by my home in the afternoon between meetings to see Penelope because I didn't get to say a proper good bye this morning and I'm lucky enough to be able to check up on her as needed. When I went to an outdoor enclosure, I had my key chains jiggle and chime. I was so happy to see Penelope rushing out of bush she was hiding in to greet me (well...expecting to be fed, I'm sure). Generally, when I call her name, I don't get this response. I knew about tortoise sensing different frequency vs. hearing like we do. My husband gave me a little bell for feeding time so I can experiment. Will keep you posted. BTW--The video was hilarious, Chucky.


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## sushisurf13 (Aug 12, 2009)

One of my greeks comes running if you call him. His name is Tuga. He hears and he knows his name.


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## Madortoise (Aug 12, 2009)

Tuga as in tortuga? good name. Other torts don't respond to their names but only this one?
Eric, do you have deep voice and call him TUUUUGAAAHHHH? LOL. 
Doesn't lower pitch carry vibration further? I thought that might be a factor and tried calling Penelope's name in varying pitch and tone. So far she still doesn't seem to attach any meaning to the sound I'm making here by calling her name. She's oblivious too that this is her name but it's not her fault b/c I call her all sorts of nicknames. I tried ringing a bell when I came home to bring her inside tonight; she didn't wake up/come out of her hide. I'm determined that she could learn given that I stay consistent....just like any parenting.


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## Madkins007 (Aug 13, 2009)

sushisurf13 said:


> One of my greeks comes running if you call him. His name is Tuga. He hears and he knows his name.



If he comes running to a recording of his name with no one around, I'll believe you. Otherwise, we don't know if it is responding to the sounds, you as a visual cue, your scent, or the fact you usually bring it food.

One of my clients is completely deaf, but comes over if you are talking about him. Some new co-workers do not realize how deaf he is because he recognizes and responds to other cues so well. 

The point is that it can be tough to divide out the issues involved sometimes.


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