Do turtles make noise? What does it sound like?
Curious! Have you ever heard do turtles make noise? If you ask people randomly whether turtles make noise, they might say they don’t or that they haven’t listened to any sound coming from their turtle pets.
We all know that dogs, cats, chickens, cows, and other animals make sounds, but this is something intriguing as to turtles. Do they really make noise? Like soft sounds that we cannot hear. If you want to know the answer then, you might want to read through.
Do turtles make noise?
Turtles are reptiles known for their huge, encased shell. Research has been continuously conducted to know the evolution of turtles. Up until the discovery, people have thought that turtles do not make any sound or noise.
Yes, turtles make noise. This was proven through the new studies published stating that two turtle species can vocalize during reproduction and some social interactions. The sounds that the turtles make are not within human audible range, so it is hard for people over 40 to hear them. In contrast, young people can hear sounds from turtles during their hatchlings.
Isn’t it surprising? We wouldn’t have known that turtles can make noise had there been no new study on this.
Do turtles make noises at night?
The sounds that turtles make have low frequency, such that any noise would make it inaudible. You will not even know that your turtle made a noise.
Most turtles are diurnal and not nocturnal. This means that like humans, they are awake and active during the day and then they rest and sleep at night. Hence, there might be a slim chance that turtles would make noises at night. However, nighttime may be a good time to observe whether your turtle makes noise since the silence of the night will make it possible to be heard. Turtles, however, only make noises in certain circumstances like during hatchlings or reproduction activity or when they make some social interactions. Their act of making sound however rarely happens or heard.
Thus, whether turtles make noises at night is still an unanswered question as no studies have been conducted to prove such. However, turtle owners claim that they hear sounds from their turtles at night. This might be because there is no noise pollution during the night, so even when the noises of turtles have low volume, they can be heard.
Why do turtles make noise?
Since turtles rarely make any noise, when they do, It signals something important. Per the research, turtles make noises during hatchlings to coordinate that way out of eggs. Like other animals, they also make sounds when they are mating.
Hissing is the most typical sound that turtles produce. This is more of a natural sound rather than deliberate. Turtles’ hisses are a sign of dislike to an act. Aside from this, they were an instance when two species of turtles made a sound in social interaction. People seldom hear these sounds due to their low volume and frequency.
Well, just like other animals, turtles make noise for a reason. They do not usually do this, so when you hear them make a sound, you need to observe to know whether they are communicating something or having health problems.
What Do Different Turtle Sounds Mean?
If you have just known that turtles make sounds, you would be more surprised to see that they know a couple of sounds. We will list the different sounds that turtles make and their meaning:
1. Hissing Sound
Hissing is the typical sound that turtles make. When they do this, they might be scared, stressed, nervous, or showing signs of dislike. You should, however, be observant as this might indicate another thing which is difficulty in breathing.
2. Grunting Sound
This is a shorter version of hissing. Claims were made that turtles grunt during hatchlings. It is a way of communication to help the baby turtles to come out of the nest.
3. Crying Sound
A crying sound of a turtle may signal that it is having a health problem, especially in its respiratory organ. The sound may come from something that is blocking their airways.
4. Chirping Sound
Baby turtles commonly produce this sound. It conveys stress or excitement for food.
5. Echolocation Sound
Echolocation is a unique sound that turtles make for navigation. This helps them find or locate even in muddy conditions.
As researchers continue to conduct studies about turtles, there might be other sounds that they can make. Well, these are only some of them and the reason they make such particular sounds.
What noise do sea turtles make?
What is truly unique with turtles is the fact that although they have no vocal cord, they are still able to make sounds. The noises they make depends on their species and gender. Sea turtles produce a low volume sound that humans may not hear.
A recent study found out that the hatchlings of sea turtles, such as the leatherback turtles, make different noises and sounds to communicate before hatching. They have recorded about 300 sounds. The noise that sea turtles make is categorized into four sound types: (1) chirping sound, (2) grunting sound, (3), and (4) complex hybrid sounds.
Conclusion
This might be a surprise that turtles can actually make sounds, but yes, it is true, and they can make more than one sounds. They can hiss, chirp, grunt, and they have to more hybrid tones. Turtles are indeed amazing!
People and other animals are known to be able to make sounds do this to communicate. This is also true with turtles. We might not be able to hear it constantly due to the low volume and frequency of the sound they make, but whenever they do, they are signaling something. This is quite challenging, especially when you have no idea that your turtles are conveying something due to the surrounding noise.
Well, now that you know that turtles can make noises, you may want to observe them to see and hear for yourself and let them fascinate you more!
