One thing you might be wondering about turtles is their hearing. The fact that these adorable creatures lack visible ears might be why many assume they lack auditory perception. Besides, you could be asking this because you hope they like your music when you play it in the house. But do turtles hear? Do they have ears? Do they like music? Which music genre do turtles like?

Well, to find out the answers to these questions and more, we did some research, and this is what we found out.

Can Turtles Hear?

Yes, turtles can hear, but not as clearly as humans. Furthermore, they can only hear loud noises because their ears are internal. It’s perhaps why people before 2014 believed that turtles were deaf due to their lack of visible ears.

Do Turtles Have Ears?

Yes, they do. However, unlike humans, a turtle’s ears are internal, but if you look closely at the side of their head, you may notice small holes through which sound waves enter. So, it’s true that turtles have ears and can hear. Turtles rely on the other senses for survival. They can smell or see you long before hearing you. In fact, scientists have proven that turtles can pick up more light frequencies, meaning that they have extra colors to their “rainbow.”

Can Turtles Hear Better Underwater Than on Land?

Surprisingly, turtles hear much better when submerged under water than they do on land. This is also true for turtles and tortoises. Even a desert turtle that spends most of its time on land would perceive sounds much better if it could stick its head into some water. It’s why scientists believe that all turtles, whether aquatic or terrestrial, have evolved from water environments.

How they hear underwater comes down to the fact that their ears are internal, which gives them enhanced aerodynamic speed when swimming. Moreover, their sensitivity to air pressure comes to their advantage in aquatic environments because they can sense an incoming predator or even a fish prey swimming nearby. They can easily notice slight changes in water pressure caused by the fins of fish as they speed.

When turtles perceive sound underwater, it’s mainly lower frequencies of sound. For instance, sea turtles will hear clearly between 200 and 750 Hz, but the hearing turns poor above 1000 Hz. On the other hand, researchers experimented with green sea turtles with a much shorter hearing range of 200 – 500 Hz, with anything higher than this not picked up well.

Note that most of these hearing studies are done on adult specimens, meaning that less is known about baby turtle hearing.

How Do Turtles Hear on Land?

On land, turtles may use their hearing to hear their predators and prey. However, their hearing on land is not as good as when hearing underwater. Still, it does help their survival a big deal. On land, turtles rarely hear the sounds of their prey or predator, but they are good at noticing any vibrations and changes in air pressure. They don’t respond to higher-pitched sounds, but they can respond much better to lower-pitched sounds. For instance, they wouldn’t hear the birds chirping quite well, but they can feel the air pressure when the birds are flapping their wings or whooshes of the bush.

How the Internal Ears of Turtles Work?

The internal ears comprise of two parts – the middle and inner ear. Although little is known about how the two parts work, there are a few details known about them and how turtles can hear.

As mentioned earlier, turtles lack external ears like us, but they have small flaps of skin on the outer part of the ears. These skin flaps can capture certain sound waves to an extent before transmitting them to the middle part of the ear.

The middle ear then transmits the sound waves to the inner ear. Once the sound makes its way to the inner ear, it’s then processed and reaches the brain, where the turtles are able to hear the sound.

A lack of external ears is probably the reason why turtles are unable to hear like other animals. Those small flaps of skins cannot capture a wide range of sounds, so the turtle can only hear a few distinct sounds. A turtle is likely to hear the loud and powerful sounds that emit lots of vibrations in the air or the extremely high-pitched sounds.

Even if the range of the sounds is not very impressive, they can hear the sounds of the common predators and prey. So, even when they can’t hear much, they do have enough hearing capabilities to survive. It would be wrong to say that turtles have poor hearing because they spend more time on land. Instead, when they stay in the water, their hearing becomes clearer and a lot better.

How Do Turtles Communicate?

Like most living things, turtles communicate with mates and hatchlings, but they do so nearly silently. However, the male Travancore turtle can communicate using a high-pitched whine during mating.

Some freshwater turtle species make a loud roaring sound to scare off predators. Besides, the Arrau turtles in the Amazon River are said to use echolocation when moving in the water.

It’s said that mother turtles can begin to communicate with their unborn child when it’s still hatching. These sounds notify the babies that they are ready to hatch. Once hatched, the females make some low sound noises to call out the newborns. The voices not only prompt the babies to hatch together but also prompts them to come in one group and travel towards the adults.

Another way turtles communicate is through touch, with a majority of courtships involving dancing. If they allow you to see a lot of extremities, it’s a clear indication that they trust you.

Do Turtles Communicate with Humans?

If you have a pet turtle, you probably want to know his language. The truth is turtles can communicate with humans through body signs. The way they communicate to you as the owner is a sign of how comfortable they are with you. A pet turtle can communicate with emotions and body language.

For instance, the turtle responds by withdrawing the tail, legs, and head back to the shell whenever it’s threatened. On the other hand, when the turtle grows comfortable with you, it will spend more time without withdrawing. A turtle can actually play with you sometimes.

Just by looking at how the turtle behaves, it can communicate something. If you notice anything abnormal, you can seek for help.

Can Turtles Hear Music?

Yes, turtles can listen to low-frequency music. A frequency such as that of the violin is too high for a turtle to perceive. That’s why turtles only hear the bass or low-frequency sounds like that of a cello. Still, turtles cannot experience music the way we humans do. For them, they just feel a change in air pressure rather than the sound of the notes.

How Turtles Perceive Music

As said above, the way we perceive music to turtles it’s different. Turtles lack external ears, but they still have some internal ears, so they can still hear to some extent. Turtles only hear the deep and loud sounds with lots of vibrations.

One thing to note is that turtles are able to hear much better when they are underwater. This is because they can feel the changes in water pressure better than in air pressure. So we can assume that depending on the sound frequency and environment, turtles will be able to hear or not.

How Do Turtles React to Music?

 Numerous studies out there confirm that animals react to different kinds of music differently. For us, classical music allows us to sit while enjoying the music. On the other hand, a rock concert will get everyone very energetic. It’s the basic principle, and animals will react to music the same way we do. For example, If you play them calm music, it will make them a lot calmer, while alert music might make them more agitated. While the frequency matters for turtles, they react to different music differently.

Which Kind of Music Do Turtles Like?

The answer is classical music. Yes, turtles can hear classical music pretty well. It turns out that these creatures are more simplistic, meaning that they only react to music on a very basic level. Unlike humans, turtles do not have many tastes because music doesn’t make them sad, motivated or happy, or nostalgic. Turtles seem to enjoy the sound waves and vibrations of classical music or something with a similar tempo.

Should I Play Music to My Turtle?

Of course, you can play some music for your turtle but this is not a necessity. Consider slow and relaxing songs like classical music. Note that researchers are yet to find out whether music can make them calmer, but there’s no health benefit. In our opinion, you can do it especially while the turtle is underwater, and who knows? They might feel better.

Can Red-Eared Sliders Hear?

The red-eared sliders can hear and respond to sound waves just like other turtles. Their hearing ability is not so good, but they are sensitive to vibrations. They can feel vibrations from the environment, transmit them to the inner ear and the brain.

Can Turtles Distinguish Between Sounds and Vibrations?

A turtle may recognize sounds and vibrations, although they land an eardrum in the inner ear. However, the middle ear has a few small bones that could assist the turtle in differentiating between a sound wave and vibration.

Do Turtles Rely on Hearing Sense?

Turtles use their hearing sense, but they do not rely on it. They only seem to process a few sound frequencies, especially during mating, hatching eggs, or dueling adults. Smell and vision are some of their most active senses when predicting situations in their environment.  They can spot you coming from far away and can smell what’s coming or cooking. Turtles can also feel the vibration of footstep sounds as well.

How Do Turtles Hear Compared to Humans?

To understand how turtles hear compared to humans, we have to take a look at the role and structure of the external ear. 

The external ear in humans, which turtles lack, has two major parts, pinna and ear canal. The pinna is what we have on both sides of our head-that is the visible part of the ear we can touch. Through this part, we can absorb the sounds and transmit them via the ear canal. 

These sounds are then sent to the middle ear, where the eardrum receives them and converts them into vibrations.  Afterward, the vibrations are sent to the entire hearing system and brain, enabling effective hearing. 

So basically, the external ear that the turtles lack enables humans to receive more amplified sounds compared to turtles. This means that turtles hear just like us, only that the sound is amplified by humans, all thanks to the external ear.

5 Important Senses in Turtles

Though turtles do not hear clearly, their other senses are finely developed and have sharp senses. Besides, turtles can as well taste, see, feel and smell. Hence, we can say that turtles have a great similarity in terms of senses compared to humans. Let’s examine the turtles’ senses in more detail to identify and understand what makes them unique. 

Hearing

The reason why turtles do not hear clearly, as discussed earlier, is because they do not have the eardrum. However, these creatures can hear low-frequency sounds and vibrations in both land and water. This way, the turtles are able to sense any potential threats in the water for their safety. 

Taste

Not all turtle species have taste buds, but some have taste buds like the Chelonians Sea turtles. This enables them to taste the food they eat. Meaning they can choose what to feed on and what to avoid. 

However, some species like Snapping turtles do not possess taste buds and can eat toxic foods, unknowingly, which may harm them. The Leatherback and Hawksbill, on the other hand, can feed on non-poisonous food such as jellyfish without being at the risk of food poisoning.

Sight

Due to the sharp sight that turtles possess, they are able to find food for themselves and their little ones easily. These wonderful reptiles can distinguish shapes and colors, enabling them to determine the food they are feeding on and any predators around them. Still, you should note that turtles lack peripheral vision. 

Smell

Like sight, turtles possess a good smelling sense in both water and on land. The bumps nerve located under their chin plays a critical role in turtles’ sense of smell. Additionally, through those bumps, these male turtles can also find female ones.

They do this by picking up pheromones found in the female turtles, which helps them mate and reproduce. Thanks to their good sense of smell, they can also detect any predators and escape any dangers. 

Touch

The body of the turtle is made of thick skin similar to leather. But this skin is able to sense even the slightest touch. Actually, turtles enjoy every moment you scrub and touch their neck.  Similarly, the sea turtles detect any touch you give them. 

Desert Tortoise Can Hear Better Under-Water

As the name suggests, desert tortoises don’t encounter a lot of water. However, you might be surprised to find out that all turtles, including the desert tortoise, can hear better underwater. 

Actually, recent research involving CT scans and MRI of different turtle species’ inner years found out that these creatures share a common ancestor, hence their ability to hear better underwater.

 The measurements of inner ears of turtles such as desert tortoise resemble those of aquatic ones, whereby the ratio of the size of the skull to the size of the inner ear is nearly the same. 

The researchers calculated the relatively large air sacks in turtles’ skull and realized that there are more and powerful vibrations underwater that enhances hearing. Besides, in water, sounds waves travel even more speedily than in air, enabling turtles to hear better.

Desert tortoises and other turtles can detect fainter sounds better while underwater. This is because the inner ear of turtles resonates and vibrates when the sound waves are at the right pitch and frequency, which is when the turtles are underwater.

Can Turtles Get Ear Infections?

Yes. Turtles do develop ear infections, mainly in the middle ear. The infection is more common in box turtles and freshwater turtles. When left untreated, the infected areas can worsen and collect dry pulse within the ear cavity, a condition known as aural abscesses. This can look like a lump on the side of the turtle’s head.

It’s very important to treat ear infections as soon as you spot them. This is because the infection keeps spreading and can reach other parts of the head, such as the skull and jaw. Worse yet, the swollen membrane on the head can rupture.

What Are the Causes and Prevention of Ear Infections?

An ear infection is mainly a result of a weakened immune system. Avoid ear infections by adding more vitamin A and make their environment clean. Besides, ensure you supplement a turtle’s meal with calcium, vitamin D, and multivitamins. As for ear infections, it’s usually a lack of vitamin A.

Additionally, consider supplementing your turtle’s diet especially if the turtle’s diet is all about insects and leafy greens. When getting commercial foods for your turtle, make sure you check vitamin A content.

Poor sanitation is a significant cause of ear infections. For this, check the efficiency of the aquarium filer and ensure it works properly. Apart from cleaning the water, the water in the aquarium must be changed regularly. Moreover, scrub the tank regularly to remove stuck dirt for better hygiene.

One more thing about the causes of ear infections, remove any sharp objects and aggressive housemates because these can injure the ear membrane, exposing it to infection.

What Are the Symptoms of Ear Infections in Turtles?

Common symptoms of ear infections in turtles include:

• Swelling around the ear membrane
• Loss of appetite due to the pain
• Inflamed eyes
• Thick pus coming through the ear membrane

What’s the Diagnosis and Treatment of Turtle Ear Infections?

Ear infections are hard to treat, so they should be left to trained vets. A thorough examination is done, and sometimes a few tests are done for lab work. After this, the cause of the ear infection should be identified.

Some infections may require surgery to remove the puss and flush the cavity off any pathogens. The vet will anesthetize the turtle and make an incision to access the inner ear. Then, they will gently remove the pus and flush the cavity. If the infection is severe, the vet flushes an antimicrobial solution and then fills the cavity with an antibiotic. It may take several weeks for the ear membrane to heal. The vet might recommend regular clean-up and reapplication of the ointment.

The turtle needs to stay in a safe, comfortable, warm, and humid environment. Be sure to enquire from the vet about other things you can do to best support the healing process.

So, Can Turtles Hear?

Absolutely! Turtles can hear, but they do it completely differently from humans. This is due to a lack of external ear, a less developed inner and middle ear, and limited brainpower. Turtles recognize low-frequency sounds better than higher-pitched sounds.

The turtle has a hearing range of 200 to 750 Hz, which is relatively low, but they can clearly communicate among themselves even with the low range. Their other senses like sight and smell are much more developed which the turtles rely on.

Lastly, keep their environment clean and serve them adequate vitamin A to prevent ear infections on turtles’ hearing. For further prevention, supplement their diet with macronutrients and keep their water clean. In case you notice any infections in their ears, you should seek professional assistance immediately.

If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comment section below.