Knowing their name

[laramie]

Okay, here is my question for all of you tort wizards out there: I have seen plenty of videos where a tortoise will come when they hear their name being called. I don't know if they know it is their name or just they recognize the voice that is calling to them. My question is, at what age do torts usually respond to their owner's voice (coming when they hear their name)? I hope that makes sense

 

[nicoleandrocky]

Rocky doesn't really come when he's called but he hears my when I'm cutting up some lettuce on his plate and comes out of his hide in the morning, and when he sees my face looking in he comes up to me.

 

[JoesMum]

Joe's 50 and still fails to respond to his name

If he's hidden in the darkest depths of the garden and I need to find him, the lawn mower is the only thing that will call him. His urge to attack it never fails!

 

[nicoleandrocky]

Joe's 50 and still fails to respond to his name

If he's hidden in the darkest depths of the garden and I need to find him, the lawn mower is the only thing that will call him. His urge to attack it never fails!

too funny!

 

[ascott]

Yeah....none of the torts here come when I call their name....likely I could stand and call their names all day....however, when they see me they head over(they are visual).....or if I have to get them to come out of their burrow or hides outside...I kneel down and knock on the ground at their burrow/hide entrance and they come on up to look....if I see ones butt in the burrow and have knocked and they are snoozing then I will toss a little ground pebble into their hole and dink em on the shell and they spin around and come charging up but slow down right away when they see it is me ...so no, none of the torts here come out to me calling their name...

 

[nicoleandrocky]

It would be really cool if they did I wish rocky would.. ahha

 

[Shelly]

Tortoises are deaf for all intents and purposes.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I do not think they respond to verbal commands or names. More than likely they respond to some other stimulus associated with the name.

 

[jaizei]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Responding-to-his-name#axzz1q5R2MjZJ
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Imprinting#axzz1q5R2MjZJ

 

[laramie]

Wow! Hey thanks everyone for all of your imput

 

[Madkins007]

Tortoise hearing is kind of weird. They have well-developed inner ears (and only a small hole for the outer ear), but only seem to hear AND RESPOND TO the sorts of sounds made by fighting, courting, or mating tortoises, or the noises made by hatchlings in the nest. There is also some interesting research being done on subsonic communications, at least in desert tortoises. Subsonics travel in soil very well, and may allow burrow to burrow communication- although we don't seem to know what they may be communicating.

On the other hand, they have a good sense of smell, can distinguish vibration patterns, see pretty well, etc. as well as picking up on patterns. They probably just put the pieces together and figure out that this pattern of events is likely to result in food or other good things.

 

[Merlin M]

I have had mine for about 4 weeks, she always comes over if I start talking to her...but could just be responding to me moving...

 

[DanaLachney]

Tortoises are deaf for all intents and purposes.

Yes but all sounds make vibrations. Beethoven's 9th symphony was done while he was completely deaf....

 

[Kerryann]

My russian is very social so anytime I am around she will follow me around like a stalker. She does perk up when I am talking, but doesn't seem to care if I am talking to her, the marginated, the dogs or the husband. She does get very antsy when she sees me standing at the counter with the cutting board because she usually gets snacks

 

[Madkins007]

My russian is very social so anytime I am around she will follow me around like a stalker. She does perk up when I am talking, but doesn't seem to care if I am talking to her, the marginated, the dogs or the husband. She does get very antsy when she sees me standing at the counter with the cutting board because she usually gets snacks

That seems to be a very fair and balanced observation.

 

[Kerryann]

I was letting the dogs out and said to them "shhhh henry (the marginated) is sleeping". Henry opened his eyes and looked at me. This is conclusive evidence that he either knows his name or wanted me to shut it

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Mine respond to a cowbell rung near their outside enclosure (they've come to equate it with food), but probably not to their names.

 

[Madkins007]

I was letting the dogs out and said to them "shhhh henry (the marginated) is sleeping". Henry opened his eyes and looked at me. This is conclusive evidence that he either knows his name or wanted me to shut it

Or heard the dogs, or felt the door open and wondered if you were bringing food, or smelled you and wondered if you had food...

Not trying to make fun of you, but it is easy for our big mammal brains to jump to conclusions when trying to decipher the behavior of animals with small reptiles brains.