Unlike other animals like dogs, cats, and crows, turtles are the least sociable. Still, they do communicate. Surprisingly, they lack vocal cords, but they have adapted to use non-vocal communication to send a wide array of messages.
Have you ever heard your turtle make a sound? You may be right; even turtles can make sounds. Although the noises are correlated with their current behavior, they can also communicate a wide array of messages through the noises.
Yes, turtles have a few ways of communication compared to other animals, but the gentle creatures have existed for over 220 million years. Communication has played a big part in their survival. So, how do turtles communicate with humans? How do they communicate with each other? Can humans speak the turtle language? Do turtles understand human language?
This guide answers all these questions in detail. We will also discuss how different turtle species communicate, e.g., red sliders, leatherback sea turtles, green sea turtles, etc. Buckle up for a long, interesting read.
How Do Turtles Communicate With Humans?
When it comes to connecting with humans, there are not many universal things that turtles can do. Most of the communication with humans depends on the turtle itself and not on the entire species. Most turtles relate to humans (primarily the owner) when it comes to food. For example, if you usually feed your turtle at 8 AM, they will automatically get used to feeding at that time. Many owners agree that their turtle will start tapping the tank when it’s feeding time. Does your turtle do something similar?
Turtles may also communicate by biting when they are being mishandled. When a turtle bites, it’s because they don’t like the handling, and they want to be left alone. Or, when a turtle sees something and hides, it means they are scared and feel threatened.
Do Turtles Communicate With Each Other?
Yes, turtles communicate with each other using a variety of cues, including verbal, visual, and olfactory. The most popular period when turtles communicate is during mating. The males mainly do the most, e.g., sticking their heads out towards the female and sometimes touching them lightly. Others also moan and grunt just to attract the female’s attention. Other male turtles also circle the female and ram the shell, and sometimes they do bite them.
Another time turtles communicate with each other is during fights. Head-bogging is common during aggression, but other males also ram each other’s shells and bite. They do this because they want to defend their territories and establish dominance.
Gopherus tortoises and Ploughshare tortoises are famous for defending their territories and establishing social hierarchies. Others like the African angulate tort are known to overturn opponents during fights. Apart from courtship and combat, torts also show other behaviors for communication.
Head-bobbing, nose touching, body posture, and controlled breathing are all ways by which turtles communicate. Nose touching is mainly a way to show curiosity and is a common way for tortoises to introduce themselves to mates and other turtles. Due to their strong sense of smell, tortoises can determine temperament and sex through nose touching. Sometimes the nose-touching behavior is used to show dominance. A less dominant turtle could interpret the behaviors like aggression and become shy.
Turtles also communicate through posture. For instance, when shy or scared, they retract to the shell. When they keep hiding inside their shells, it means something might be wrong. If they do this with other turtles, it could be a case of bullying. Provide more space and hiding spots if you keep two turtles in the same enclosure. A happy and confident turtle will extend its head partially.
Do Sea Turtles Communicate Among Themselves?
Verbal communication is less evident in sea turtles compared to tortoises. Sea turtles will make the first sound before they hatch. Hatching sounds are described as cluck, click, grunt, meow, and sometimes complex hybrid tones. Scientists say the sounds they make when they are still in the shell trigger the rest of the group to hatch together or around the same time. Unfortunately, premature hatchlings are common in nests. On the upside, these sounds are crucial to their survival as large numbers leaving the nest together reduce the risk of being predated.
Vocalizations of female sea turtles during nesting have also been noted. In a study to investigate the sounds produced by nesting leatherbacks, authors discovered that they produce three different sounds, including gular grunts, pumps, and breathing. Breathing and pump increased from laying to covering eggs. Grunts are more common during camouflaging. All the sounds came out in low frequency and needed special devices to detect them. These sounds are not considered a form of communication but as a result of exhausting nesting activity.
Mating season is where most of the communication occurs. A male sea turtle approaches the female and bites their neck slightly. Interested females will either pull away or stay still. Even during mating, other males may be competing by hitting the tail and biting the flippers to force him to go off the female.
How Sociable are Turtles?
Compared to tortoises, sea turtles are incredibly solitary creatures. Each turtle has a distinct personality, although they use similar cues and behaviors to communicate with humans and among themselves. A scared turtle, for example, will retract into its shell and produce hissing sounds. Generally, vocalization is mostly negative unless it’s during courtship and mating.
You should provide enough space for your turtle regardless of temperament. If you keep several in the same enclosure, make sure to provide enough resources. Avoid moving objects from one place to another because the turtle may become confused and assume it is new. If you notice signs of bullying and aggression, make sure you separate the fighting ones.
It’s also important to only hold the turtle only when necessary. Constant contact is a common cause of aggression. It’s even worse when the turtle is turned upside down, as this frightens the turtle. The same is true about lifting the turtle. You need to do this only when necessary. Avoid tapping the shell to avoid frightening the turtle.
Do Turtles Have Vocal Cords?
Researchers have found elastic bands in the larynx of several turtle species, finally settling the dispute over whether turtles have vocal cords or not. The fibrous tissue acts as vocal cords allowing the turtle to vocalize by pushing air through the elastic bands, making them vibrate and produce sound.
Turtle species that don’t have these elastic bands of fibrous tissue often make sounds by clucking or producing a high-pitched whining sound. Most species can also produce low-frequency sounds that the human ear cannot detect.
How Do Sea Turtles Communicate?
Sea turtles exist in 7 species including, green sea turtle, loggerhead turtle, flatback, leatherback hawksbill, kemp’s Ridley, and Olive Ridley. Although sea turtles rarely seek each other, communication among hatchlings is well-documented.
The first-ever recorded vocalizations of sea turtles by humans was in 1999. Before that, they always believed that sea turtles produce no sounds. Of course, land turtles and tortoises do produce sounds but freshwater turtles. The recording was a significant milestone as we now have proof that sea turtles indeed have verbal cues and sounds. The recording was done by T.G Forrest and Sarah Cook of the University of North Carolina. Here’s the report.
The sounds in the recording include grunts and pumps. The report adds that the leatherbacks only produced these sounds during specific activities. Leatherback sea turtles emit over 300 different sounds, such as sounds when hiding and when coordinating hatching time. This is how they ensure baby turtles hatch at around the same time.
How Do Sea Turtles Hear?
As you already know, sea turtles produce a wide range of sounds which they use to communicate. Although the least vocal of reptiles, turtles are capable of hearing well. The most common sounds produced by sea turtles include pumps, grunts, and breathing. The most reliable data about sea turtle hearing mainly comes from research done using brainstem auditory evoked potential tests. BAEP tests are used to determine the electrostatic potential response of their brain to sound. The data allows us to know that sea turtles hear mid to low-frequency sounds or sounds between 750 Hz to 200 Hz.
How Do Green Sea Turtles Communicate?
Like other turtles, green sea turtles lack vocal cords and external eats. These two factors are what make communication among the species difficult. Many scientists have long presumed that sea turtles are just deaf as a stump. Due to this belief, not many scientists bothered to look into the creatures any further. However, herpetologists have discovered that green sea turtles can make detectable sounds in both the water and land.
Some of those sounds can penetrate through eggs, especially when timing the hatching process. Still, the sounds the green turtles emit tend to travel for short distances because they emit them at an extremely low frequency. The sounds are on the lower end of the spectrum, which humans can perceive, but you might need to be keen on hearing. Additionally, green sea turtles tend to produce the sounds infrequently, and you can only expect to hear them around 20 times a day. It has been shown that green turtles need these sounds because they are long-distance travelers. It’s essential for the migration season when they need to move out, searching for mates and exploration.
Do Green Turtles Hear Each Other?
Absolutely. Scientists know that green turtles can hear low-frequency sounds and particularly ones they emit amongst themselves. They can perceive sounds between 200 to 750 Hz. Despite a lack of ears, they can sense sounds in this wavelength and detect certain communicative advances.
What are Other Ways Green Turtles Communicate?
Sounds are just one-way green sea turtles use to communicate, but are there other non-verbal ways of communication? Indeed. A common communicative practice by green turtles is during mating. Physical touch and breathing are used to stimulate the female during courtship. Blinking and squirting water have also been used for communication among turtles. A unique communication method among turtles is biting, especially when they live with other green sea turtles. Additionally, green sea turtles hiss, especially when they are under stress.
Do Turtles Use Silent Communication?
Yes. All turtles use some form of silent communication when mating. Aquatic male turtles will extend their claws to seduce females when mating. If they don’t have long foreclaws, they make use of their long noses to send a stream of water to the face of the female.
Females also use silent communication to get the attention of a male they are trying to mate with. However, instead of forcing water in their faces, they use a much subtle way. When the mating period comes, some females blink underwater while facing the male. With their brighter eyelids, it’s easy for the make to notice.
The male gopher tortoise also exhibits some form of silent communication. In what is described as similar to knocking at a door, they make knocks on the ground near a burrow to hear if there’s anything there. It’s a common practice during the mating season and is done to convince females to come outside the burrow. If the female turtle is not interested, it will block the entrance or hiss.
You should probably also try to pound the ground near a burrow. The turtle will probably get to the surface.
Do Turtles Understand the Human Language?
Unfortunately, turtles cannot understand the human language but can distinguish different sounds humans produce. This way, they can respond to them in a certain way.
Purposes of Turtle Vocalizations
For a long time, turtles have been thought to be silent creatures. Researchers have only recently discovered that turtles do indeed make noises, despite their lack of vocal cords. They do so by squeezing and expelling air from their lungs through their throats.
However, turtles, particularly aquatic species, produce extremely low vibrations resulting in low-frequency sounds that are often inaudible to the human ear. Some of the most common sounds made by turtles include hissing, roaring, crying, chirping, singing, grunting, and echolocation. Like most other animals, turtles make different noises for varying reasons.
Let’s dive into different reasons why turtles make sounds.
Mating Turtle Noises
Like other creatures, turtles mate to procreate. Researchers have identified certain sounds that are closely associated with mating turtles. The male turtle begins by bumping its shell into the female’s shell, producing a clacking sound. This is followed by a continuous higher-pitch cry distinct to different turtle species. However, some turtles, such as the map turtle species, make extremely low-frequency mating noises that naked ears cannot perceive.
Aggressive Sounds
Turtles can often display aggressive behavior when faced with an imminent threat. When turtles such as the snappers feel like they are in danger, they respond aggressively by making gestures and sounds to ward off an attacker or before proceeding to attack. These noises result from heavy breathing that may come out as a roar, such as the typical roar by the big-headed turtle.
Disputing Turtles
Some turtles are territorial creatures meaning they thrive where they feel safe. If their territories are encroached, they respond aggressively through movement and increasing breathing. This can produce distinct sounds, a common sound being a hissing sound. However, such noises are rarely heard since most of these disputes happen underwater.
Nervous/Stressed Sounds
Turtles, like many other animals, don’t like to be touched. Holding a turtle to feed or pet them, as with pet turtles, can make them feel a lot of stress. They can, in turn, produce sounds such as or hissing in response to the stress.
Additionally, sick turtles can also feel stressed and respond by producing a hissing sound. However, the hissing sounds from ill turtles are mainly a result of a respiratory infection affecting their breathing system.
Feeding Sounds
Some turtles also produce noises when eating. These sounds can be in the form of squeaking, grunting, or sighing as they move and push air out of the lungs when trying to reach and bite their prey. Some turtles will produce a unique burping sound after feeding as they try to push out air swallowed while eating.
Fear/Nervous Sounds
When in fear, turtles can produce a hissing sound in response. The hissing sound comes out involuntarily as a response to the perceived threat. This sound is produced when the turtle quickly retracts into the shell expelling air from the lungs. Thus, a turtle may hiss when you approach it, not in readiness to attack but as a response to the fear.
Baby Communication
Scientists have observed that embryonic turtles and hatchlings can communicate to synchronize their hatching time. As a result, most baby turtles will often emerge from the nest simultaneously after synchronizing their digging efforts. Sea turtles, in particular, have been noticed to produce a mixture of harmonic and pulsing sounds to communicate within the nest and even srrud9ng nests.
Synchronized hatching increases the hatchlings’ chances of survival as there’s safety in numbers. The synchronized hatching process also means that the digging process gets distributed, reducing the energy each baby turtle expends to dig its way out of the sand and into safety.
Some turtle species, such as the Arrau river turtle, can even communicate with their hatchlings as they emerge. Scientists have observed that female Arrau turtles will often follow the sounds emptied by baby turtles once they hatch, and they can get aggressively protective over the young ones.
Social Communication
While most turtles are loners out in the wild, some species prefer to stay in groups for security purposes. Such turtles will often communicate via vocalization to coordinate group migrations and even maternal care in some aquatic species. Others, such as the pig-nosed turtle, often engage in social feeding, nesting, and thermoregulation. in such cases, when a turtle fids the perfect nesting ground or food source, they will often communicate with the others to join them whether on land or underwater.
Singing Turtles
Aquatic turtle species such as the leatherback sea turtle have been observed to vocalize various sounds such as chirping, clicking, and even meowing, almost like singing. Sure, it’s not the sort of singing you’d notice from the get-go, but most turtle species can make sounds right from before they hatch and throughout their adult life. These song-like sounds vary across species, sex, and age, and are often not noticeable to the human ear. To listen to them, you will need specialized underwater recording equipment that can record the turtles as they go about with their life.
Underwater Echolocation
Aquatic turtles have been observed to use some form of echolocation that penetrates a few meters to navigate their way underwater. The turtles usually emit a series of high-frequency sounds by clicking and listening to the echoes to determine how close or far they are to objects around them. The navigation technique allows the turtles to dive deep into the murky waters with low visibility and locate their prey. Aquatic turtles also rely on echolocation to navigate through dark caves. Oblong turtle hatchlings have also been observed to rely on echolocation to catch mosquito larvae while in the water.
Wrap Up
Turtles are communicative creatures, albeit not as chatty as dogs or birds. Hatchlings are known to communicate while inside the eggshells, even before they hatch.
Turtles can easily get stressed, which can be caused by excessive human interactions. If your turtle is producing a hissing sound and retracting into its shell, they are saying they want to be left alone. Turtles can make different sounds, but they do this rarely. It’s probably because they spend most of the time alone and there’s a lesser need to communicate with each other.
At the moment, little is known about turtle communication with each other and with humans. If we discover anything new, we will update this guide. If you have any questions about turtle communication, you should leave them in the section below, and we will get back as soon as possible.