Sulcata Senses

[MORTYtheTORTY]

How good is a Sulcata's Site, Hearing, and smell? There's so many mixed reviews on this but I am searching for facts here =P
I read somewhere that they can smell water from over a mile away?! TRUE OR FALSE.

I hear they can see VERY well? What's their eye site like?

I also read somewhere that they can't hear noises and only vibration?
TRUE OR FALSE...Has anyone seen Newman on Youtube walking the nieghborhood? Or the other guy calling his hatchling or Juvy? I've seen some come when their name is called?

 

[l0velesly]

I know their smells are superb! They love to go sniffing at everything. I think their visions are like humans as well and I agree about hearing vibrations only.

 

[Madkins007]

Vision: Roughly like human, but not as good with distance. Have more types of cones in the eyes, and can probably see UV light.

Smell: Much better than human. I've not seen the 'water a mile away' thing anywhere I trust as a fact, but does not seem unreasonable to me- after all, humans can detect the scent of the ocean many miles away.

Hearing: They can hear certain frequencies that humans can (mostly that correspond to the noises of hatchlings in the eggs, and the noises they make during courtship and mating. At least some species can also make and hear subsonic sounds that travel through soil very well and may somehow be used to communicate when they are in dens. They either cannot hear or do not respond to most other sounds.

Responding to voice cues: This is possible, maybe, but more likely responding to scent, sight, and vibration cues in the same way that deaf dog would. (We had a deaf dog and it took us forever to figure out he was deaf because he responded so well to other subtle cues.) Tortoises are certainly smart enough to recognize patterns and quickly learn who offers most of their cares and other good things.

 

[Zamric]

I know they are very sencitive to air current changes at ground level!

No matter where WalkingRock is in the yard, if I open the Garage door, or one of the 2 gates in the yard (our yard is completly enclosed with a 6' privacy fence), he will head for that opening. if I open the front fence and either of the back 2 openings he will go to the opening in the direction of the prevailing winds (E-W winds). I watch him pass the back gate only 10' away and run for the front gate because the breeze was blowing that way.... the front gate was another 100' away and he knew that gate was open because he looked at it when he passed it.

This is how he excaped last time.... I saw him pass the open gate and I knew the front gate was open but I "KNEW" Cathie was working over there and she would stop him... OOpppps! She went inside to make us lunch.... I had to run out front because my 75+ year old neibour lady was screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to "Shoo, Shoo" my then, 70 lb tort like a 7 lb house cat! Funnist thing I ever saw!

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

Lushcious: Thank you

Mark: That was very helpful and "DUH WE CAN SMELL THE OCEAN TOO" HAHAHAHAHA I didn't think of that but I read they can smell water from a mile away not ocean so IDK I know I can't smell water from a mile away LOL

Zamric: That's hilarious! My friend had a sulcata in her backyard but it never escaped because they lived in a million $$ home with a tropical lush backyard but I'm sure they didn't give it the right foods and all the maintenance workers coming in and out doing yard work most likely put fertilizer in everything to keep it so lush. The backyard was HUGE and that was the torts territory, I brang my dog last time and the tort charged it until we left hahahaha It was pyramiding but I didn't know anything about torts back then, but it died years later probably from MBD and they stuffed it as a statue in their home and I went to look at it a few years back and it looked way smaller than what I had remembered.

 

[Weda737]

I love Newman, it really seems like he comes when called, mostly at the very start of the walk though, the rest of the way he was just following and being guided by the guy's leg into the fence. And you know they cut out a lot of it, He said the Newman will go off his own way if given the chance.

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

I love Newman, it really seems like he comes when called, mostly at the very start of the walk though, the rest of the way he was just following and being guided by the guy's leg into the fence. And you know they cut out a lot of it, He said the Newman will go off his own way if given the chance.

They should've should all of it LOL

 

[Weda737]

I love Newman, it really seems like he comes when called, mostly at the very start of the walk though, the rest of the way he was just following and being guided by the guy's leg into the fence. And you know they cut out a lot of it, He said the Newman will go off his own way if given the chance.

They should've should all of it LOL

Lol "the Newman" I meant "that" And I agree, I'd love to see a real regular days walk with those two. Dumb questions like "does he bite?" would get on my nerves in a hurry though.

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

I said should've should HAHAHAHAHAH I meant showed haha

Weda: That can be simply fixed by putting up a sign "BEWARE OF TORTOISE" or "I BITE!"

 

[Weda737]

I said should've should HAHAHAHAHAH I meant showed haha

Weda: That can be simply fixed by putting up a sign "BEWARE OF TORTOISE" or "I BITE!"

I didn't even notice lol I just read "they should've all of it" which made sense to me since I knew what you were referring to. I got the image of having a bumper sticker saying "I bite" taped to his butt. Then I thought of "wide load"

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that wwould do it

 

[RV's mom]

RV hears (or feels?) the movement of the sliding glass door when we walk out into the back yard... she stops what she's doing and will look to see who is coming out (unless she's eating - then who cares?). If she's NOT eating, then she's interested in us and if we have food for her.

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

that's awesome...even though I know they say they can only hear vibration...sometimes I wonder *finger on chin*
I know someone on here told me they aren't social either but I beg to differ...my two hatchlings are very much in tune with eachother and without the other one they would be terrified. IDK how it will be as they age but for now it's very obvious they're greatful to be together hahha

 

[mary t]

Willie comes out of her shed when I get home and call her. My sons get home before me and being "lazy" teenagers it's just easier to leave the back door to the screen room open. (That way we do our part to air condition the outside world- sorry that's for another forum.) anyway I get home at different times between 3:30 to 7 and I can walk onto he back porch 5 min or an hour after I come in and call her name and boom she is poking her head out the door to see her momma.. Hence if my hubby does it and it's after about 5:30 (willies bedtime). She doesn't even budge.. She knows who loves her.. Lol..

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

oops I meant *grateful
Mary t...sounds like an awesome bunch you have there lol IDK what's worse...taking care of toddlers or taking care of teenagers hahahahaha Willie sounds cute...she loves her momma! I hope to see pics of her head poking out of the shed hahahaha that'd be a great site to see

 

[Weda737]

Mine comes out from his nap when he hears me come home too. Goes from sleeping in his log to plopping into the water dish, usually. There are occasions when he comes out and runs a race track until I get him out.

 

[mary t]

View attachment 18157



View attachment 18158

Ask And I would love to post pictures... Lol.. Like all men but I. Pretty sure Willie is a girl- whoever produces the most food wins...

---

Ask And I would love to post pictures... Lol.. Like all men but I. Pretty sure Willie is a girl- whoever produces the most food wins...

View attachment 18159

 

[luvmysulcata]

I know they are very sencitive to air current changes at ground level!

No matter where WalkingRock is in the yard, if I open the Garage door, or one of the 2 gates in the yard (our yard is completly enclosed with a 6' privacy fence), he will head for that opening. if I open the front fence and either of the back 2 openings he will go to the opening in the direction of the prevailing winds (E-W winds). I watch him pass the back gate only 10' away and run for the front gate because the breeze was blowing that way.... the front gate was another 100' away and he knew that gate was open because he looked at it when he passed it.

This is how he excaped last time.... I saw him pass the open gate and I knew the front gate was open but I "KNEW" Cathie was working over there and she would stop him... OOpppps! She went inside to make us lunch.... I had to run out front because my 75+ year old neibour lady was screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to "Shoo, Shoo" my then, 70 lb tort like a 7 lb house cat! Funnist thing I ever saw!

Hey how long have you had your tort?

 

[mary t]

oops I meant *grateful
Mary t...sounds like an awesome bunch you have there lol IDK what's worse...taking care of toddlers or taking care of teenagers hahahahaha Willie sounds cute...she loves her momma! I hope to see pics of her head poking out of the shed hahahaha that'd be a great site to see

---

Sorry, the pictures are above. The iPad and I don't always work in sink together...

 

[Zamric]

Hey how long have you had your tort?

Cathie has had his since the day after he hatched. I have only been taking care of him since Cathie and I got together about 7 years ago. He is now 12 or rather will be 12 in June.