Turtles do have ears. However, they lack the outer part of an ear that sticks on both sides of the head, as is the case with humans and most animals. They can hear, but their ears are not as sharp as those of other animals. Turtles respond more towards low to mid sounds.  

A turtle’s inner hearing mechanism is not very clear. Thus, they at times miss certain sounds, but they are responsive to vibrations in their environment in most cases. Turtles are also able to interpret these sound vibrations. Let’s dig deeper into a turtle’s hearing mechanism.

A Turtle’s Hearing Mechanism

Ears are one of the sensory organs in animals. They help in perceiving sound, coordinating gaze, bringing balance, and aid movement and control. A turtle lacks the external ear and instead uses the internal ear for hearing. This internal ear is made of 2 parts; the middle ear and the inner ear.

Unlike human beings who have visible outer ears, turtles have tiny skin flaps. These skin flaps are like little holes on either side of the turtles’ heads. To a certain extent, they can capture sound waves and transmit the same to the middle ear.

A turtle also has a brain center and an auditory nerve, also known as the acoustic or cochlear nerve. The two parts are necessary for hearing. However, the brain center is a lot smaller in turtles than in other animals.

In events of noise around a turtle, the sound waves enter through these flaps. They are then transmitted to the middle ear. Therefore, it is because of the skin flaps that a turtle can hear.

The middle ear cavity in turtles is made of a funnel-like space, mainly comprised of the quadrate. Its primary function is the transmission of sound waves to the inner ear. It also improves the efficiency of this transmission from the outer environment to the inner ear.

When these sound waves reach the inner ear, they are processed into electrical signal waves. These electrical signal waves are also known as nerve impulses. Once processed, the impulses are transmitted to the brain. The inner ear also gives the turtle balance.

When the impulses reach the brain, the turtle hears the sound.

Hearing Sensitivity in Turtles

Turtles do not hear as well as other animals. This is because of the absence of the outer ear. The skin flaps it has instead are not highly effective in capturing a variety of sounds. As a result, a turtle only hears a few distinct sounds.

The sounds a turtle hears are, in most cases, the low-pitched and the low to mid loud ones bearing moderate air vibrations.

How Does a Turtle Hear on Land?

A turtle is likely to be on land either because it is a land-dwelling turtle, otherwise known as a tortoise, is a semi-aquatic turtle, is an aquatic turtle basking, or is a female marine turtle seeking to lay eggs.

Turtles do not hear clearly on land. This is because the sound is transmitted through the air on land, and the atmosphere is a poor conductor of sound.

Their limited hearing sensitivity makes it challenging for them to look out for food and identify that a predator is around. Catching prey and self-defense against predators is vital for a turtle’s survival, whether on land or in water.

Since turtles can’t hear most of their prey and predators, they rely on vibrations and changes in air pressure to identify them. However, they are able to hear the most common sounds predators make when attacking a turtle. This aids in their survival.

In addition, the skin of a turtle has excessive fat and is thick. These two factors make it even harder for a turtle to hear well.

Now that we know that turtles don’t hear well on land, is this the same case in water?

How Well Does a Turtle Hear in Water?

Water is a very distinct medium from the air. The particles are densely packed compared to air. As a result, sound travels faster in water and is about five times louder than in air. 

Given that sounds are significantly louder in water; the turtle can hear a lot clearer than on land.

Further, the turtle’s thick skin and excess fat become good conductors of sound in water. They increase the sensitivity to water pressure. Consequently, a turtle is able to pick up water pressure changes caused by the movement of an animal. 

The skin flaps pick up sound better in water than the human ear. Therefore, although disadvantages on land, turtles are superior at hearing in water. 

Due to the ability to note changes in water pressure, a turtle can escape predators and trace a prey that is swimming near it. 

Green sea turtles hear less compared to other turtles.

All aquatic animals lack outer ears; they only have internal ears. They need to have a streamlined body to help them move more swiftly in water. The presence of external ears would make movement and hearing underwater a little complicated. 

The necessity for a streamlined body in aquatic turtles is likely to be part of why a turtle lacks the external ear.

Hearing Mechanism: Turtles vs Humans

We’ve seen that in specific environments, turtles can hear more distinctly than human beings. Is this the only difference, is there a similarity between them?

To begin with, turtles lack external ears that are present in humans. This body part plays a vital role. Its absence in turtles is the fundamental origin of the differences in their hearing mechanism compared to humans’.

The outer ear is made of 2 parts; the pinna and the ear canal. The pinna, also known as the auricle, is the visible portion of the outer ear on both sides of your head. It collects sounds and transmits them into the ear canal. 

An ear canal amplifies the sounds received from the pinna. After this, it sends the sounds into the eardrum, transforming them into vibrations before being passed to the entire hearing system and eventually into the brain. 

In essence, the turtles do not have the part that amplifies sounds, as is the case with humans. Therefore, turtles hear things like human beings but at a much lower volume. Humans are also able to hear much lower and higher sound waves compared to turtles. 

To hear in the same manner that a turtle does, you would need to reduce the vibrations produced by the outer ears. A safe and easy way of trying this is by using low-quality earplugs. Alternatively, you may carefully insert cotton pieces in your ears but avoid pushing them too deep.

Turtles Hearing Range

We have seen that turtles do not hear well on land. We have also established that there are frequencies below and above which a turtle can’t hear. So what is the hearing frequency of a turtle?

The units of frequency are measured in hertz (Hz). In general, turtles can hear 200 – 750 Hz sound frequencies depending on whether they are on land or water. 

The green sea turtle has a shorter hearing bandwidth as its hearing frequency ranges between 200 Hz and 500 Hz.

On the other hand, humans have a much bigger hearing frequency. They can hear significantly lower sounds compared to turtles and even much louder ones. A human ear can sound vibrations of 20 – 20,000 Hz.

Other Senses in a Turtle

Turtles depend on other more developed senses to compensate for their limited sense of hearing. Their sense of smell and vision are better than their hearing. These senses help them avoid dangerous predators, track their prey and find their partners when the mating season arrives.

1. Sight

Turtles have much better vision than hearing. Their sense of eyesight is well developed, and they can identify shapes, patterns and colors. Sea turtles have better eyesight in water than on land. Because of their ability to recognize colors, sea turtles know predators and distinguish different kinds of food. 

Land turtles also have a great sense of sight. They, too, are able to identify patterns, colors and shapes. This not only helps them in avoiding predators but also in identifying plants and animals they eat.

Even with a developed sense of sight, turtles lack peripheral vision. 

2. Smell

Sight and smell are the most dominant senses in a turtle. The smell is well developed for turtles both underwater and on land. Although turtles lack nostrils, they have bumps below the chin known as barbels. Barbels have nerves that enable them to pick up scents. 

The sense of smell in turtles is not only used for food and to sense predators but also to facilitate mating.

During the mating season, female turtles release pheromones that signal their male partners that they are ready for mating. For the elongated tortoises, more blood flows towards the nasal area to increase their sense of smell in the mating season. The resulting blood increase makes them appear to have an irritated nose.

In addition, some turtles use scent as a self-defense mechanism. For the musk turtles, they release a foul scent when threatened. 

3. Touch

Turtles are primarily covered with a tough bony shell. Although the shell is tough, they can still feel touch because of the nerves’ lines on the surface. These nerves identify differences in air or water pressure. However, the nerves do not have pain receptors.

If you lightly touch a turtle’s shell, the animal would know that you are doing so.

In addition, turtles can feel touch on their skin. As much as their skin is thick and leather-like, it is pretty sensitive. Harmless turtles are likely to enjoy a neck rub. However, you should avoid touching a turtle for long as it can make the animal stressed. 

4. Taste

Some turtles have taste buds while others lack. Sea turtle species have them, and this allows them to taste their food. It is no wonder that the leatherback turtle travels hundreds of miles to look for its favorite snack, a jellyfish.

Box turtles are also known to love the taste of earthworms and strawberries.

Other species, such as the snapping turtles, lack taste buds. This absence puts them at the risk of eating items that might be poisonous. Even so, some turtles eat toxic food such as jellyfish without their health being affected. 

Common Ear Infections in Turtles

Since turtles have ears, they are prone to ear infections. Box turtles and the red-eared sliders are the most commonly affected species. The most rampant ear infection affects the middle ear. 

Aural Abscess

The aural abscess is the most common ear infection in turtles and tortoises. It starts in the mouth and moves to the ear canal via the Eustachian tube. Because turtles do not have an outer ear, the infection has nowhere to exit and instead, the pus builds up.

Following the pus build up, aural abscess manifests as a lump on either or both sides of this animal’s head.

Seek treatment for the infection as fast as possible. If not treated, the abscess might spread to other head parts, especially the jaw and skull. The increased pus build-up might actually rupture and cause permanent damage to the turtle.

Causes

An aural abscess occurs in both turtles and tortoises for several reasons. The main reason is a weakened immune system from poor diet and stress in situations such as hibernation.

Other causes of turtles’ ear illness include lack of enough sunlight, nutrient deficiency, traumatic injury, viral infection, poor environment, and exposure to toxic substances such as pesticides. 

Symptoms

Some common symptoms of ear infections in turtles are swelling on the sides of the head near the skin flaps, thick puss seen on the ear membrane, loss of appetite and inflammation around the eye.

Prevention

It is essential to feed your turtle with a balanced diet. In addition, mineral and multivitamin supplements such as Calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A should be a part of the turtles’ food.

Vitamin A is very crucial to a turtle’s ear health. It helps in the generation of cells found in the skin and the respiratory tract. In its absence or presence in deficient amounts, turtles succumb to various illnesses, including abscesses.

When buying commercial foods, only buy those with optimal Vitamin A levels.

A clean environment is also necessary. Cleaning the aquarium regularly and changing the water will promote optimal hygiene. A water filtration system is essential in keeping the tank water clean.

To prevent recurring ear infections after treatment, adhere to the vet’s instructions. The vet will guide you on the ideal humidity, water levels and quality required for the turtle to thrive.

You should follow post-treatment instructions on medication, and the full dose should be administered even after the turtle seems to have healed. 

Diagnosis

Diagnosing ear infections in turtles is done by a trained professional. The vet does a thorough examination of the history and physical state of the turtle. They may also do a blood test.

The veterinarian might ask you questions concerning the turtle’s living conditions to identify the cause of the infection. It is also common for a turtle suffering aural abscess to be suffering from other illnesses.

Treatment

Surgery is often required to remove the pus build-up from the aural abscess. During surgery, the veterinarian will also flush the inner ear cavity with sterile saline. Flushing the ear canal eliminates any puss or infection.

Surgery is the safest and most effective method of treating ear infections in turtles. It is a quick procedure that involves cutting below the abscess then pushing it out. Bleeding might occur but in very minimal amounts. 

During surgery, the vet may also do a swab in the ear canal. They will take it to a lab for testing on sensitivity and culture. The test helps the vet identify the most rampant bacteria on the turtle’s ear canal and know the ideal antibiotics for treatment.

The cut area is not stitched; instead, the wound is left open and heals on its own. Depending on the extent of the infection, the vet may recommend antibiotics after the surgery. Adhere to the medication instructions and administer the entire dose as directed. 

Healing of the wound and skin membrane might take several weeks. 

Unfortunately, the abscess may recur. To reduce the chances of this, ask your vet questions to help you identify the factors that predisposed your turtle to this infection. After the turtle has fully recovered, continue to take your turtle for regular checkups. Early diagnosis is easier to treat. 

Read more about > Can Turtles Hear? (Ultimate Guide)

Do Turtles Communicate With Each Others?

Yes, Turtles do communicate with each other. They use very low sounds to do so. However, they don’t talk and instead make a particular kind of noise. 

Interestingly, turtles do communicate with humans too. If you’ve had your pet turtle for a long time, then you might have already identified their language. As with most pets, turtles will communicate how comfortable they are through body language. 

You will notice that the pet retracts its limbs, tail and head into the shell when feeling threatened. On the other hand, once comfortable with your presence, they start playing with you instead of retracting.

A change of behavioral pattern indicates that the pet turtle is sick. You should contact a vet immediately.

More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do Turtles Hear Music?

Yes, If the music frequency is low to a medium, such as low-pitched sounds and the bass, turtles will hear the music. Otherwise, when the frequency is high such as that of a violin, this reptile will not pick up the sound.

Even when turtles pick up the sound of music, they can’t enjoy it like humans. To these animals, it is nothing more than a change in air pressure.

Do Turtles Identify Their Owners?

Yes, turtles do recognize the voice and sight of their owners. It is very common for turtles to swim to the top of the water surface to greet the owner when they enter a room.

Turtles communicate with humans, especially their owners; turtles use body language to communicate. Among themselves, they do so by making sounds.

Do Turtles Enjoy Companionship?

Turtles are more of loners in comparison to other animals. They don’t need company, and in most cases, they only come together for mating.

Turtles are unsocial animals, and keeping your pet alone in the tank should not worry you. It is recommended that some turtle species such as the red-eared slider be kept alone because they might bully other species. This is because they are very aggressive and territorial.

Do Turtles Feel Sad?

Turtles are regarded as some of the most peaceful animals, and they do not have emotions. Thus, they do not feel angry, happy or sad. This is because the part of their brain that interprets sensations of these emotions is inactive.

However, turtles exhibit fear when threatened. When hurt, they feel pain and can get stressed, especially under extreme environmental conditions.

Since turtles don’t have feelings, they hardly quarrel. But if placed in the same tank, you may see them fighting. This happens because some turtle species are very territorial while others fight for survival. They are also likely to be fighting for food or a mate.

Conclusion

Turtles have ears but lack the external ear that is common in most animals. They use a middle ear and an inner ear to transmit sound vibrations into the brain.

A turtle’s sense of hearing is not as well-developed as is the case with humans and other animals. They are only able to perceive sounds of between 200 – 750 Hz.

Turtles have other strong senses that complement their poor hearing using other strong senses. The senses include touch, smell, sight and taste. Both sight and smell are well developed. They help the animal thrive by helping it identify prey, sense a predator, communicate during mating season, etc.

Because turtles have ears, they risk suffering from ear infections. Ear infections in turtles are mainly caused by Vitamin A deficiency and poor hygiene. The disease, known as an aural abscess, is treated through surgery and antibiotics.

Provide your turtle with a clean environment, balanced diet and supplements to avoid the risk of ear infections and related other illnesses.