# Smell or taste



## alex_ornelas (May 27, 2014)

Do torts have taste buds? Or do they eat it because of the smell? But sullys will eat their own poop. Hmmmmm


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## dmmj (May 27, 2014)

I don't think they eat their poop because they enjoy it, though they do seen to have a fondness for dog poop.


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## N2TORTS (May 27, 2014)

Most all turtles and tortoises DO possess taste buds.....FYI


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## Star-of-India (May 27, 2014)

Having taste buds doesn't rule out eating poop. There are human beings who do that, but that's another topic! 

Rabbits eat their own poop and like most creatures who do that normally, we'll exclude humans here, it puts food through a 'second pass' and a lot of important nutrients missed the first time are gained. 

I believe rabbits use their appendix for this second pass digestion. Humans have an appendix and we are all taught that it's useless. But who knows?!? Just imagine what nutrients we're missing! Actually it is now recognized that the appendix has immune functions, luckily not necessary as I, like many people, lost mine years ago.


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## yillt (May 27, 2014)

Star-of-India said:


> Having taste buds doesn't rule out eating poop. There are human beings who do that, but that's another topic!
> 
> Rabbits eat their own poop and like most creatures who do that normally, we'll exclude humans here, it puts food through a 'second pass' and a lot of important nutrients missed the first time are gained.
> 
> I believe rabbits use their appendix for this second pass digestion. Humans have an appendix and we are all taught that it's useless. But who knows?!? Just imagine what nutrients we're missing! Actually it is now recognized that the appendix has immune functions, luckily not necessary as I, like many people, lost mine years ago.


Wow. I never knew that. Maybe I will have have a go. Just kidding


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## ascott (May 27, 2014)

> Maybe I will have have a go.



Ewwww, gagging...almost recycled my tostada and wine....ewwww....lol


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## yillt (May 29, 2014)

ascott said:


> Ewwww, gagging...almost recycled my tostada and wine....ewwww....lol


I like to think my tortoise is to wonderful to do that but I have seen him doing it. Eewwwwww.


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## JoesMum (May 29, 2014)

I am sure they have taste buds... and a sense of smell. However they seem to be driven by sight, particularly, when selecting foods. Most will make a beeline for anything red or yellow. In the cherry season, Joe has become so obsessed with red circles that he has tried to eat some printed on a newspaper! (I know he is not supposed to eat fruit, but try telling him that when our tree is covered in it. I try to rake up the windfalls, but the stones in his poop tell me that he still finds them!)


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## yillt (May 29, 2014)

Yes. Yellow is a problem. It's funny if you put out loads of coloured bricks the tort normally chooses the same colour and is adamant he is going to get that brick.


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## Madkins007 (May 29, 2014)

They have taste buds. As an experiment, some zoo torts were fed peeled apples, then some peeled onions. They hated the taste of the onions so much that they would no longer eat a peeled apple unless the keepers left some peel on it.

(Note- the only reason they peeled them was for the experiment- torts that eat fruit should get the peels too in most cases.)


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## ascott (May 29, 2014)

I have noticed here that the CDTs are driven by sight moreso than smell....while the Redfoot Tort are absolutely scent hounds moreso than by sight....also, the CDTs can spot something from what seems like a crazy far distance, while the Redfoot do not display this same visual prowess ....


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## mikeh (May 30, 2014)

It would seem logical for forest species to have keen sense of smell while arid species be guided by visual sense. 
My Burmese brown can smell cantaloupe from dozen feet away. The smell even wakes them up at night for investigation. 
Interestingly I have seen my leopard wake up and investigate when cooked yam was placed within vicinity of his enclosure.

Both species seem to use taste, biting things at random to see if its any good.


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