Can tortoises see color?

tort_luv_5055

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Joined
Dec 7, 2013
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190
Location (City and/or State)
New York (USA)
So my School's Annual Science Fair is coming up next month.
Unlike the other, quote on quote, "Normal Kids" I want to do my project on my tortoise.
WOW, you wouldn't BELIEVE how complicated things got after I made that statement.

I had to get specialized permission to bring in a live animal. Think 3 pages of permission slips, signed by my science teacher, both parents, me, and my principal.

I had to request a special table next to an outlet. My science teacher asked me to write a note on a big piece of looseleaf paper. More signing. More permission slips.

They won't let me put salad in the fridge. I ordered Grassland Tortoise Food. It got here. He refused to eat it. Oh well. Room-temperature salad it is.

And finally, I had to figure out what to do with him. I had an idea:

I am going to see if he recognizes colors. Rose Petals, a nice camera, and a hungry tortoise is all it takes. :)

Do you guys have any other ideas?
Wish me LUCK!
 

Pokeymeg

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Jul 18, 2011
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Boston, MA
Lol, normal is totally overrated! Good for you, going against the grain! Sound like a very interesting project.

You should get him used to whatever temporary enclosure you're going to use during the science fair so he is less stressed and more likely to be his charming self :)
 

Saleama

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Jul 12, 2013
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Irving Texas
My sulcata babies will pick out all of the food based on color. They start with the brightest red or purple and move down to the darker reds and then anything with some red in it and finally they will eat all the green stuff. If there is white in their food, it gets eten with the bright reds. They will not touch their food if it has calcium powder on it or mazuri mixed in. I'm pretty sure this is not a visual thing but you never know.


Oh, and the Leopard babies are the oposite and often won't eat anything red or purple so I have to pull it out and toss it if I don't pick it out first and give it to the sulcatas.
 

Abbie07

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Jan 27, 2014
Messages
32
My tort loves strawbs and he tried to eat the power button on the TV remote which is red so yeh they do see colour
 
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