Many pets make a variety of sounds – sometimes to the chagrin of their keepers. Barking dogs, meowing cats, and chirping birds can fray even the most patient pet parent’s nerves.
Tortoise keepers, by contrast, can rest easy in the fact that their pets don’t make a lot of noise. But that doesn’t mean they’re silent, either. In fact, tortoises are capable of making several different noises.
In this article, I’ll be explaining the distinct nature of tortoise sounds and behavior, as well as point out a few cases where these characteristics may signal a problem for tortoise owners and keepers.
Hisses
The most common sound tortoises make is a hissing sound, typically made as they withdraw into their shell.
But while “hiss” is not a terrible term to use for the sound, and it is usually the word tortoise keepers use, it shouldn’t imply that hissing tortoises sound like hissing snakes – that’s not what a tortoise hiss sounds like at all. It usually sounds like a forceful exhalation.
While they don’t make it every time they pull into their shells, tortoises make this sound pretty reliably when withdrawing because of a perceived threat (even if it is just their keeper’s presence).
The reason they make this sound isn’t understood with certainty, but it may serve two important purposes:
- It may help intimidate would-be predators. Lots of animals make sounds when frightened, and it’s possible that this is the reason tortoises hiss when withdrawing into their shells. In further support of this hypothesis, it’s worth pointing out that they most commonly exhibit the hissing sound when withdrawing due to a perceived threat, rather than when they’re relaxed.
- It may help them withdraw more quickly. There’s a lot going on inside a tortoise’s shell – it’s full of bone, muscle, and organs. And often, its lungs are full of air, which takes up additional space. So, by exhaling quickly, it may make it easier for a tortoise to fit its head and appendages back in the shell more quickly.
Regardless of the reason tortoises sometimes make hissing sounds, it should be no cause for concern, except that it potentially indicates that your pet is stressed, unhappy, or frightened.
Courtship Sounds
Some tortoise species will emit audible vocalizations during courtship. In some cases, these sounds are limited to the males, but in other species – such as the brown tortoise (Manouria emys) – both sexes emit sounds.
These sounds are often described as sounding like low-pitched rumbles or groans, but they vary a bit from species to species and individual to individual. These vocalizations are commonly accompanied by circling behaviors and head-bobbing.
It isn’t 100 percent clear why tortoises engage in this activity. It may function like the vocalizations of birds and serve to attract or court mates. It may also serve to repel would-be competitors.
Mating Sounds
Courtship sounds are certainly interesting, but few tortoise keepers are prepared to hear the strangest sounds tortoises make: Male tortoises often vocalize while breeding, and put simply, you don’t expect to hear tortoises do something like this.
But it’s actually pretty common, and there are scads of videos documenting the phenomenon. It can go on for quite some time too. Tortoises may breed for 20 minutes at a time or longer, and males occasionally vocalize throughout the event.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about tortoise mating sounds is that they often differ from one species to the next.
Red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonarius), for example, often make sounds that are likened to the clucking of a chicken. Smaller species, such as Russian tortoises (Testudo horsfieldii), will make soft, squeaky sounds. Meanwhile, gigantic tortoises, including Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger), make very loud moaning sounds.
As for the question of why tortoises make noises while breeding, nobody knows for certain. Some hypothesize that it is simply the byproduct of the physical exertion that takes place during breeding activity. But others suspect that it serves a territorial or social function.
Mechanical Sounds
When people think of sounds that tortoises make, they’re generally thinking about vocalizations. But while tortoises can and do vocalize at times, they also make a variety of other sounds too.
For example, tortoises bump into things all the time – it’s to be expected from animals who carry around an awkward shell. This makes all kinds of percussive sounds, especially when they bump into things like enclosure walls. You may also hear the bottom of their shells slide a bit on the floor.
Additionally, tortoise feet may make noise as the animals walk around. This is most commonly heard when tortoises walk on hard floors, but they’re rarely silent when walking on soft substrates, either. At times, tortoises will even “paw” at enclosure walls (particularly transparent materials), which can lead to a repetitive scratching or scraping sound.
Tortoises even make soft creaking sounds from time to time when walking. This is generally due to either their skin rubbing against other parts of their skin, or their skin rubbing against their shells. Sometimes, their jaws make similar creaking sounds while they’re eating, and of course, you may hear various chomping sounds as they consume vegetables – particularly things like carrots or parsnips.
And it should also be noted that the gastrointestinal tracts of tortoises often make an array of sounds, ranging from grumbling sounds to more familiar sounds, which typically aren’t discussed in polite company.
Sounds Indicative of Poor Health
Most of the sounds tortoises make are normal and not indicative of a health problem. But tortoises suffering from respiratory infections may emit an array of sounds that are cause for concern.
For example, some tortoises with respiratory infections may make wheezing sounds as they struggle to breathe easily. You may also hear very faint popping or clicking sounds, as mucus moves around the tortoise’s respiratory tract.
If you suspect your tortoise is making sounds associated with a respiratory infection, seek veterinary help at once – especially if you see other symptoms, including watering eyes, lethargy, or discharge from the nose or mouth.
Respiratory illnesses can be very serious for tortoises, so it is imperative that you obtain veterinary assistance.
Hypothetical Tortoise Sounds
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things about tortoises we don’t yet understand. Tortoises are very difficult to study in the wild, as they’re often elusive creatures, who spend a lot of time inside deep burrows or hiding in vegetation. Additionally, many tortoises remain dormant for long periods of time, while they wait out inhospitable temperatures or other climatic factors.
A lot of tortoises are also rather small, which makes observing them in the wild difficult. But you can’t say that about Galapagos tortoises – they’re huge animals, which are generally easy to study in the wild.
And as scientists have spent more and more time observing these large chelonians in the wild, they’ve learned that their social interactions are often more complex than we ever imagined. This has led some to propose something that would have been unthinkable in previous decades: They suspect that Galapagos tortoises may emit ultrasonic sounds that serve as a method of communication.
Ultrasonic sounds are simply those of frequencies that are higher than humans can detect (generally defined as frequencies higher than 20 kilohertz). Ultrasonic sounds are quite common in the world, and many animals can hear them; dog whistles, for example, make ultrasonic sounds that dogs can hear, but people cannot.
More research is needed to determine if this hypothesis will prove to be true. But in the meantime, it is important to keep in mind that there may be many things going on in the lives of tortoises that we don’t perceive.
How to Stop Your Tortoise from Making Sounds
Most keepers find the sounds their tortoises make to be interesting (if not downright entertaining in the case of courtship or mating sounds). However, some keepers find them annoying.
You can’t stop tortoises from making many of the sounds they create, but there are a few techniques that may prove helpful:
- There’s not much you can do to stop a tortoise from hissing, except to avoid stressing or frightening him. Your tortoise will likely become more accustomed to your presence over time, so just try to move slowly and always be gentle when handling him.
- You can stop a lot of the bumping and banging sounds tortoises make in their enclosure by rearranging the furniture or providing a larger habitat. It can also be helpful to cover transparent walls or doors with something opaque, to help prevent the constant “digging” behaviors tortoises often exhibit when they confront transparent items.
- Courtship and mating sounds can be tricky to stop – the best approach is to simply separate your tortoises. However, some owners have reported that separating tortoises causes some individuals to make courtship vocalizations more often.
Of course, if your tortoise is producing sounds that are potentially associated with illness, you’ll want to contact your vet and take the steps he or she recommends. Remember that respiratory infections can quickly turn serious, so don’t delay in seeking veterinary assistance.
Citations
- Smithsonian Folk Ways Recording – Tortoise Mating Calls
- LiveScience – Animal Sex: How Galapagos Tortoises Do It
- Animal Diversity Web – Manouria emys, Brown Tortoise
