If you’ve ever wondered what sounds turtles make when moving around, breathing, or interacting with others, you’ve come to the right place. In short, turtles do make sounds but they are generally very quiet and subtle.
We’ll dive into the details around the vocalizations, breathing, and other noises turtles make in this comprehensive guide.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about what sounds different turtle species make and what they might be trying to communicate.
Breathing and Sniffing Sounds
Normal Breathing Sounds
Turtles make soft hissing or wheezing sounds when they breathe normally. These subtle sounds are caused by air moving in and out of their lungs and trachea. Turtles don’t have vocal cords like mammals, so they can’t make loud breathing noises. Their breathing is typically very quiet and gentle.
When resting or relaxed, a turtle’s breathing will be slow and steady. You may have to listen closely to hear the soft hiss-hiss of their breaths. Young, active turtles tend to breathe a little faster than older ones. But in general, a turtle’s breathing is very subtle and hard for humans to detect.
Underwater, the breathing sounds are even harder to hear. Turtles draw oxygen from the water using special glands in their throat and cloaca. This allows them to stay submerged for long periods without surfacing for air. While underwater, their breathing is essentially silent to our ears.
Sniffing and Heavy Breathing
Turtles may breathe louder when sniffing the air. They have a good sense of smell and will often lift their head up, extend their neck, and take longer sniffs. This may result in louder wheezing or hissing sounds as they quickly inhale and exhale.
Rapid, open-mouthed breathing is a sign a turtle is stressed, too hot, or struggling to get enough oxygen. This heavy breathing is louder and more pronounced as the turtle works harder to breathe. Problems like respiratory infections can also cause wheezing, whistling, or clicking sounds as the turtle struggles to breathe.
Here are some examples of when heavy, audible breathing in turtles may occur:
- Overheating due to high temperatures
- Exertion from extensive activity
- Stress from handling or transport
- Respiratory infection
- Pneumonia
- Metabolic disorders
Loud, labored breathing in a turtle is often a cause for concern. It can signify an underlying health issue that needs veterinary attention. Subtle, gentle breathing sounds are normal, while heavy wheezing or whistling indicates a problem.
Being attuned to a turtle’s normal breathing patterns makes it easier to identify abnormal respiration.
Hissing, Grunting, and Other Vocalizations
Reasons Turtles Hiss or Grunt
Turtles make a variety of vocalizations for different reasons. Hissing and grunting are common sounds many turtles make. Here are some of the main reasons a turtle may hiss or grunt:
- To scare off potential predators or threats – Hissing can sound intimidating so some turtles hiss to try and scare away animals that may want to eat them.
- As a warning or to express displeasure – Some turtles like box turtles or tortoises may hiss to let another turtle know that they are unhappy or feel threatened. It’s like saying “back off!”
- During courting and mating – Male turtles may grunt or hiss as part of their courting behavior towards females.
- An involuntary reflex – Some turtles hiss when they feel startled or afraid. It may be an instinctive reaction and not an intentional warning.
Distress Calls
When threatened or injured, some aquatic turtles will make loud distress calls. These vocalizations are thought to signal fear, pain, and stress. For example, young pig-nosed turtles emit a shrill cry when captured by predators. This helps alert parents and other nearby turtles to danger.
Some key points about turtle distress calls:
- The pig-nosed turtle makes one of the most notable distress calls – high-pitched with a duration of about half a second.
- Spotted turtles and musk turtles may squeal or emit a shrill chirp when caught by predators.
- The purpose is to attract attention and aid. It signals “I’m in trouble, help me!”
- Hatchling and juvenile turtles seem to be the most vocal when stressed.
- Making noise can be risky though, as it also attracts unwanted attention from predators.
So while distress calls may help turtles alert relatives and summon aid, they need to be used judiciously to avoid attracting other unfriendly attention. Still the cries convey useful information to other turtles when done right.
Courting and Mating Calls
Many male turtles also vocalize to attract mates. These courting calls are often specific to a particular species. For example, male midland painted turtles may rapidly bob their heads up and down while emitting a buzzing or chattering sound. The vibration draws the female’s attention.
Male Eastern box turtles also vibrate their shells to charm potential mates.
Some other interesting turtle mating vocalizations include:
- Red-footed tortoises – Males make slow, rhythmic knocking sounds by hitting their shells on logs to interest females.
- Green sea turtles – Both males and females grunt and roar to initiate courtship.
- Hawksbill sea turtle – Males click their tongues to signal they are ready to mate.
- Chinese three-striped box turtles – Males emit melodic chirps and whistles to get a female’s attention.
Being reptiles, turtles and tortoises don’t actually have vocal cords. But they’ve evolved a variety of sounds like hisses, squeaks, and vibrations to communicate key messages with each other – from warding off enemies to wooing mates!
Their unique vocalizations are part of their survival in the wild.
Sounds Made When Moving
Walking on Land
Turtles don’t make much noise when walking on land. Their webbed feet and short legs allow them to take slow, methodical steps without vocalizations. However, some turtles like box turtles might make subtle sounds like soft thuds when their shells knock against logs or rocks.
Swimming
When swimming, aquatic turtles propel themselves using their webbed feet, which can make gentle splashing sounds in the water. These splashes are likely inaudible above the surface. Sea turtles surface to breathe air, which may produce a rushing sound.
Their flippers can also cause light splashing when they flap them. Overall, turtles swim pretty quietly.
Climbing and Digging
Turtles are not known for climbing trees, but smaller turtles like box turtles can climb slopes and dig burrows. The scraping of their shells against dirt and roots may produce muffled scraping sounds. Aquatic turtles sometimes climb onto logs and rocks above the water.
Their claws may scrape against these surfaces, but they mostly move silently.
In rare cases, snapping turtles and other aggressive species may hiss or produce a grunt-like sound if threatened. But in general, turtles don’t vocalize much unless handled.
Sounds Made by Baby Turtles
Baby turtles make a variety of sounds right from when they hatch from their eggs. Here are some of the common vocalizations baby turtles make:
Peeping
One of the most distinctive sounds baby turtles make is a high-pitched peeping noise. This peeping sound is one of the first noises hatchling turtles make as they start to emerge from their shell. The peeps are thought to help coordinate hatching among turtle clutches and allow hatchlings to locate each other.
This soft, repetitive peeping noise almost sounds like a bird chirping. It can persist for several days after hatching as the babies make their way out of the nest and to the water.
Distress Calls
Baby turtles may make shrill distress calls if they are in danger or need help. For example, if a hatchling gets flipped on its back and can’t right itself, it may start frantically peeping to call for assistance.
Similarly, if a predator is near, baby turtles may make loud squeaking or screeching noises to warn others. This functions as an alarm call indicating immediate threat.
Release Calls
When picked up by a human or other animal, many baby turtles instinctively emit release calls. These vocalizations, sometimes described as squeals or screams, communicate fear and request to be let go.
It is thought baby turtles make these sounds when seized because in nature, the grip would indicate a predator has them. The release call signals distress and that the turtle wants to be freed.
Hatching Vocalizations
As baby turtles break open and emerge from their eggs, some species make soft chirping or clicking sounds. These hatching vocalizations are likely involuntary, but may help stimulate other eggs to hatch.
The hatching sounds are often high-pitched and follow a steady rhythm as the baby works to break the shell. The calls tend to grow louder right before the egg cracks open.
Swimming and Breathing Sounds
In water, baby turtles may make gentle grunting or snorting sounds as they swim along. These noises are from breathing and exertion as the tiny hatchlings paddle.
Baby turtles at rest make occasional soft snuffling or puffing sounds when they surface to catch a breath. Their small size and rapid breathing rate creates these subtle noises.
Conclusion
While turtles are generally very quiet creatures, they do make some subtle sounds like hissing, grunting, sniffing, walking, swimming, and vocalizations during mating. The sounds can communicate distress, courtship, or just be normal breathing and movement noises.
Different turtle species make different sounds and levels of sound based on factors like habitat, size, age, and temperament. Juvenile turtles tend to be more vocal than adult turtles.
Now that you know all about the types of sounds turtles make, you can tune your ears to listen for these subtle turtle noises next time you encounter one!
