Vanessa Black
Member
Just curious
Do tortoises know their names?
- Thread starter Vanessa Black
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- Jul 16, 2014
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- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
They seem to recognize voices and come over when they hear it. But tortoises don't hear like we do. They only hear vibrations.
So a tortoise that recognizes his/her name is likely just one that remembers what your voice sounds like to him/her.
A tortoise of mine only responds to my wife's voice. It totally ignores me unless I bang on the side of the pen when I arrive.
So a tortoise that recognizes his/her name is likely just one that remembers what your voice sounds like to him/her.
A tortoise of mine only responds to my wife's voice. It totally ignores me unless I bang on the side of the pen when I arrive.
I have one that comes out to see me when I say his name or anything for that matter haha he just recognizes my voice and know it means food is coming haha
daniellenc
Well-Known Member
Skurt come running when he hears me but probably because he knows he’s getting fed lol.
Of our 4 CDTs, the two we've had for many years do indeed respond to the voices of either my wife or myself. We often travel for a month or more at a time, and when we return, the two senior tortoises come rushing toward us at the sound of our voices. Our neighbors, who care for the torts while we're gone, are chagrined that the tortoises don't respond to their voices. Makes me feel loved and missed . . . ha ha.
My tortoise comes when I call him, but it's probably just because I'm the guy that always has the tasty snacks.
I agree. I don't think it's their name they know but the sound of the voice. My two male leopards will respond to me when I call them, but it's not the name it's the sound. I can actually say anything and they will come too me.
@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.
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.
It’s true about the field of vision. Even when mine is in the tank with it tail toward me and I literally pop my head around the door of the room, he stops whatever he is doing. Normally when eating he will stop so I know that he has sensed me being there even not looking directly at me or hearing me as I’m soooo quiet.
I would disagree with the fact they can't hear. I can call mine and they will turn and look and then come. I'm not moving when I call them. I can't swear they didn't feel the vibes as I was approaching but I doubt it as the distance of me from them is quite a few feet and that I'm not right in their area. I also seen one of my torts look up at a plane that was very loud going over. He could have seen it but he wasn't looking up at the time, in fact down eating. I don't think they know names though.
I'm going to try and get a vid of me calling one that's walking away and see if he turns. It's possible too the couple times it happened was a fluke and they were going to turn and head my way to begin with lol.
I dunno, mine will be in his hide which is a steralite storage container with a hole cut in the side. It's black so unless he's sitting right by the hole it's impossible for him to see me. He doesn't come out most of the time when I just come in the room. Since I've got him I make a clicking noise (like I'm calling a dog) everytime I feed him. If I do this and say his name he immediately comes out.
Yes they can hear. Do they understand what you are saying, ie recognise their name? I would say no.
After decades with Joe, if he heard something that meant food then he came running. Would it matter what I yelled? No.
If he heard his arch-enemy, the lawnmower, he was guaranteed to emerge in attack mode to the point that it ws a pretty good way of finding him. And I swear he rammed the wheely bin purely because he liked the sound... you could certainly hear it from the other end of the street.
I have this theory that creatures evolve hearing in line with their "speech". Animals with a more complex vocabulary like parrots, dogs, etc need to be able to hear the nuances that make words different in their own species and probably hear those in our speech.
Torts don't use voice communication. What they hear is only used to distinguish betwen unsafe, tasty, etc
After decades with Joe, if he heard something that meant food then he came running. Would it matter what I yelled? No.
If he heard his arch-enemy, the lawnmower, he was guaranteed to emerge in attack mode to the point that it ws a pretty good way of finding him. And I swear he rammed the wheely bin purely because he liked the sound... you could certainly hear it from the other end of the street.
I have this theory that creatures evolve hearing in line with their "speech". Animals with a more complex vocabulary like parrots, dogs, etc need to be able to hear the nuances that make words different in their own species and probably hear those in our speech.
Torts don't use voice communication. What they hear is only used to distinguish betwen unsafe, tasty, etc
Stéphane Gagno
The Auditory Sense in Tortoises, using Hermann’s Tortoise, Testudo hermanni (Gmelin, 1789), as an Example
https://www.researchgate.net/public...se_Testudo_hermanni_Gmelin_1789_as_an_Example
The Auditory Sense in Tortoises, using Hermann’s Tortoise, Testudo hermanni (Gmelin, 1789), as an Example
https://www.researchgate.net/public...se_Testudo_hermanni_Gmelin_1789_as_an_Example
I think possibly they do use sound to communicate , I believe the article referenced may speak to that ...…. some sounds below our range of hearing ….
There’s still a difference in how their hearing has evolved. I may not have explained myself well, but if they don’t need to communicate with sound in our auditory range and all that’s needed is to tell sounds that are good and bad then there is little need to understand a concept like a name.
Their hearing may well be vastly better than ours in some ways. Their brains have evolved very differently
EDIT
I don’t think that helps explain what I mean either... sorry! I just know that Joe knew my voice rather than his name
Their hearing may well be vastly better than ours in some ways. Their brains have evolved very differently
EDIT
I don’t think that helps explain what I mean either... sorry! I just know that Joe knew my voice rather than his name
I don't believe they know their names either , probably does sound like food to them , or maybe a scratching ……. I do believe their understanding of sounds goes beyond good and bad though …...
Larynx morphology and sound production in three species of Testudinidae.
Roberto Sacchi,* Paolo Galeotti, Mauro Fasola, and Giuseppe Gerzeli
https://www.researchgate.net/public...d_production_in_three_species_of_Testudinidae
Roberto Sacchi,* Paolo Galeotti, Mauro Fasola, and Giuseppe Gerzeli
https://www.researchgate.net/public...d_production_in_three_species_of_Testudinidae
I have box turtles and I started playing a song every time before I feed them. I moved them to my office/shop because I have to build a new pen that doesn’t flood but this song has been played since they were outside. My boss didn’t believe me when I told him almost all come out for the song until low and behold... songs playing and out from every hide, corner and under the dirt these turtles all pop out and just sit looking either up for me to put the food down or at me directly if they are in temp terrariums. I control the music through google Home so half the time I’m playing the song before I even walk into the room. I’m guessing it’s based off the vibrations.
What song? [emoji23][emoji16]
“Food, glorious food” from Oliver the musical
