Do tortoises know their names?

orv

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@GBtortoises shared the results of a scientific study done at his place years ago. The conclusion was that tortoises don't hear and that their reaction to humans is olfactory or visually based. Another possibility is that they can recognize the "feel" of an individual's foot steps, especially when paired with a primary reinforcer like food.

After reading his posts, I tried to call some of mine by name, but they always seemed to be able to see me before I could try voice only. They have such a wide field of vision, its hard to sneak up on them. So far, I've gotten no responses to voice calls.

I find this to be an interesting and debatable topic.
Tom, I certaintly don't claim to understand the communication skills of our CDTs. I must note that our two older tortoises can be deep in their burrows, well out of visual and possibly out of olfactory communication with us when they come a-charging toword our location. Our large outdoor enclosure is primarily decomposed granite, sand and clay. The surface we approach from is concrete. How they can understand our presence, I don't know . . . but they clearly know that we're coming . . . without a visual line of sight. Olfactory sense would have to be able to quickly move from our patio to their burrow. My very rudamentary knowlege of smells, lends me to believe that traveling down, away from convection waves, says that this would be difficult. I'm eager to see where this thread goes . . .
 

MrMarg&me

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So I have a different song I have made up for each of my three box turtles. The songs just so happen to include the individuals name. The songs are simple. Also if the reaction of my family is any guide they are very annoying. What is interesting is the turtle will respond to their special song. If it is not “their” song the turtle will continue with whatever they were busy with. But if it is their special song the turtle will stop and stare at me. The turtles do not always receive food when I sing to them. Of course this is not a controlled study. Maybe when two species interact that would not normally do so evolutionarily it changes the game?
 

Redfool

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Have you trained these turtles to know their song or have they trained you to give them a treat? Who’s training who? Pavlov’s turtle or human? My redfoots have trained me to when they beg like puppies they always get some tasty hibiscus flowers. [emoji259][emoji217]
 

Toddrickfl1

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Have you trained these turtles to know their song or have they trained you to give them a treat? Who’s training who? Pavlov’s turtle or human? My redfoots have trained me to when they beg like puppies they always get some tasty hibiscus flowers. [emoji259][emoji217]
My RF also has me trained. Everytime he drops a load in his enclosure I come running behind him to clean it up :eek:
 

Elijah

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My tortoise knows her name. She comes to me every time I call her, and knows quite a few English language phrases. I can tell her to look behind her, and she will. I can tell her to do a twirl and she will turn all the way around. I can tell her to come on, and she will walk beside me. She also watches tv, and loves music. She also likes to look at herself in mirrors, and knows it's herself and not another tortoise. She's a 60 pound 12 year old female sulcata.
 
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Turt and Indu know my voice, I don't think they know their names. My voice seems to calm them. And sometimes they do what I tell them to do. Honestly...
They stop doing what they are doing when I start talking or singing to them during their soaks. They come back to me, looking at me. If it's the soundwaves or vibritions in the air, I don't know.

I think all animals feel much more then we give them credit for. So maybe it is how we feel to them, that they response to.

Interesting thread!
 

DesertGirl

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Turt and Indu know my voice, I don't think they know their names. My voice seems to calm them. And sometimes they do what I tell them to do. Honestly...
They stop doing what they are doing when I start talking or singing to them during their soaks. They come back to me, looking at me. If it's the soundwaves or vibritions in the air, I don't know.

I think all animals feel much more then we give them credit for. So maybe it is how we feel to them, that they response to.

Interesting thread!
I always send mental pictures along with my words
 

RosemaryDW

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StephandTay

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I agree they can hear and get used to certain tones in voices that make it seem like they know their name. My Russian Tiny comes out and pops his head up and will look right me or my mother when we are speaking in the living room which is where his enclosure is. He doesn't react to my girls voices and probably because they are not the hands that feed him! He knows mom and grandma have the goods :)
 

Kenno

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I haven’t been able to determine what my CDT’s can hear, but I have one who loves to make noises. He will rattle a gate for hours, or walk back and forth over a pie tin. He likes to scrape against rain gutter downspouts and he can make a racket!
 

Etania Cheng

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I feel like they definitely do, my Bean is starting to recognize her name. She’s about 1 and every time I call out “Beanie”, I see her perk up and occasionally look up at me. So yea I think as long as you keep calling their name and give them some food, they eventually learn their name since that’s what you always call them.
 

TammyJ

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My tortoise knows her name. She comes to me every time I call her, and knows quite a few English language phrases. I can tell her to look behind her, and she will. I can tell her to do a twirl and she will turn all the way around. I can tell her to come on, and she will walk beside me. She also watches tv, and loves music. She also likes to look at herself in mirrors, and knows it's herself and not another tortoise. She's a 60 pound 12 year old female sulcata.
This sounds amazing. Can you post some videos of your tortoise demonstrating her extraordinary accomplishments, please?:):eek:
 

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