You’ve probably sat by a pond or watched a pet slider basking on a rock and thought they were the silent types of the animal kingdom. They don’t bark. They don’t meow. Most people assume they just exist in a quiet, stoic vacuum. But if you've ever wondered what does a turtle sound like, the answer is actually a lot noisier—and weirder—than you might expect.
Turtles are noisy. Seriously.
For decades, even many herpetologists thought most turtles were essentially deaf and dumb. We thought they lacked vocal cords in the traditional sense, so we assumed they were mute. We were wrong. Recent research, specifically a massive 2022 study led by Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen at the University of Zurich, proved that nearly every turtle species researchers tested actually vocalizes. They just do it at frequencies or volumes that we usually miss.
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The Hiss: A Turtle’s Most Famous Warning
If you’ve ever startled a wild snapper or even a common box turtle, you’ve likely heard the hiss. It’s the sound most people associate with them. But here’s a fun fact: it’s not always a "vocal" choice. When a turtle gets scared, it pulls its head and limbs into its hard shell at lightning speed. To make room for all that meat and bone, it has to literally squeeze the air out of its lungs. That air rushing out through the glottis creates a sharp, intimidating hiss. It’s basically a biological exhaust valve.
It works, too. If you’re a curious dog or a hungry raccoon and the "rock" you’re sniffing suddenly lets out a high-pressure steam whistle, you’re going to back off.
Beyond the Hiss: Clicks, Chirps, and Grunts
When they aren't trying to scare you away, turtles use a variety of social sounds. If you listen closely to a group of hatchlings, you might hear tiny, rhythmic clicks or chirps. Scientists believe this is how baby turtles coordinate their emergence from the nest. Think about it—if you’re a baby sea turtle buried under two feet of sand, you want to make sure you and your fifty siblings dig out at the same time to avoid being picked off by birds. They "talk" to synchronize the breakout.
Once they hit the water or the forest floor, the repertoire expands.
Leatherback sea turtles, for instance, have been recorded making sounds that resemble belches or low-frequency pulses. Red-footed tortoises are known for a series of "clucks" that sound eerily like a chicken. It's weird. You’re in the brush, you hear a hen, and you look down to find a slow-moving reptile staring back at you.
Why Frequency Matters
Most of these sounds are low-frequency. Human ears aren't great at picking up the nuances of turtle speech because they often communicate underwater or in ranges that blend into the background noise of a marsh or a beach.
Researchers use hydrophones (underwater microphones) to catch these conversations. What sounds like silence to a snorkeler is actually a busy highway of "clicks," "hoots," and "clucks" to the turtles nearby.
The Mating Game (It Gets Loud)
If you’re looking for the loudest answer to what does a turtle sound like, look no further than mating season. This is when the "silent" rule goes completely out the window. Giant tortoises, like those found in the Galápagos or Aldabra, are famous for their mating bellows.
It’s a deep, guttural, rhythmic groaning.
Honestly, it sounds like a very old, very tired man trying to lift a heavy couch. It can be heard from hundreds of yards away. This isn't just for show; the vocalizations help the tortoises signal their stamina and presence. Smaller species, like the common pet Russian tortoise, make similar but higher-pitched "squeaking" or "piping" sounds during the act. If you're a first-time pet owner hearing this from the next room, it can be pretty alarming. You'd think your turtle was in respiratory distress, but usually, it's just biology doing its thing.
When Sound Means Trouble: Identifying Respiratory Infections
While turtles are naturally more vocal than we once thought, some sounds are red flags. If your pet turtle is making a "whistling" or "clicking" sound every time it breathes, it might not be talking to you. It might be sick.
Respiratory infections (RIs) are common in captive turtles, often caused by incorrect tank temperatures or poor water quality.
- Wheezing: A constant whistle usually indicates inflamed airways.
- Clicking: If you hear a click every time the turtle opens its mouth to breathe, that’s a sign of mucus buildup.
- Gasping: If the turtle is stretching its neck out and "gaping" its mouth to make a sound, it’s struggling for oxygen.
In these cases, the "sound" isn't a communication method—it's a symptom. If the whistling is accompanied by bubbles at the nose or lopsided swimming (where the turtle tilts to one side because one lung is more congested than the other), it's time for a vet trip.
The Acoustic Complexity of Different Species
The sounds vary wildly depending on where the turtle lives. Sea turtles have a different "dialect" than desert tortoises.
- Green Sea Turtles: These guys produce complex "pulses" and "grunts" when they are nesting. It's thought that these sounds might help them navigate or interact with other females on a crowded beach.
- Musk Turtles: Often called "stinkpots," they aren't just smelly. They can produce faint, high-frequency squeaks when handled, though they mostly rely on their chemical defense.
- Big-Headed Turtles: Known for a more aggressive "clicking" or "snapping" sound of the jaws, which serves as a physical and auditory warning.
Why Do We Care?
Understanding turtle vocalization isn't just about trivia. It changes how we handle conservation. If we know that sea turtle hatchlings rely on sound to coordinate their escape from the nest, we have to consider how "noise pollution" on beaches—from construction, vehicles, or even loud crowds—might disrupt their survival.
We used to think of the ocean as a quiet place for turtles. Now we know it’s a soundscape. If we drown out their low-frequency pulses with boat engines, we might be making it harder for them to find mates or stay together.
How to Hear Them Yourself
You probably won't hear your turtle "talking" unless you spend a lot of time in total silence near their enclosure. They don't have external ears, but they "feel" sound through their skin and shells, and they produce it deep in their throats.
If you want to hear the secret life of your pet, try using a sensitive microphone near their basking spot when they think they're alone. You might catch a faint "pop" or a "chirp." It's a reminder that these animals, which have been around since the dinosaurs, have a social depth we are only just beginning to decode.
Actionable Steps for Owners and Enthusiasts
- Monitor "New" Sounds: If your quiet turtle suddenly starts making noise, check the basking temperature immediately. Most vocalizations in pet turtles that aren't mating-related are actually signs of a cold or infection.
- Reduce Ambient Vibration: Since turtles "hear" through vibration, loud speakers or vibrating filters right next to their tank can be incredibly stressful. Keep their environment sonically "clean."
- Observe Body Language: A hiss is a "back off" signal. If your turtle hisses, respect its space. It's telling you it feels vulnerable.
- Support Quiet Beaches: If you live near sea turtle nesting grounds, advocate for reduced noise and light during hatching seasons. Those little clicks under the sand are their only way of knowing it's time to move.
Turtles aren't the silent statues we thought they were. They grunt, they belch, they chirp, and they bellow. We just finally learned how to listen.