| A turtle drawing, with a simple question scrawled at | | | | Although turtles do not have tympanum or ear |
| the bottom, "Where are the turtle ears?" made its | | | | drums that gather sound waves for a more defined |
| way to my desk the other day. The drawing, | | | | hearing, turtles are capable of detecting |
| sketched by a young child, showed the turtle with no | | | | low-frequency sounds and sensing vibrations, |
| ears. The child asked me "How does he hear?" | | | | whether they are in the water or on land. |
| In fact, turtles do have ears, which are actually small | | | | Because of this, they rely mostly on their vision and |
| holes in the sides of their heads, allowing sound | | | | sense of smell to help them move around. There are |
| waves to enter. | | | | even theories suggesting that the refined sense of |
| In the past, people thought that turtles were deaf. | | | | smell in turtles allows them to return to the exact |
| This presumption may most likely have arisen from | | | | beach on which they originally hatched in order to |
| the fact that turtles do not have visible or physical | | | | mate and lay their eggs. |
| ears that stick out from the sides of their heads, as | | | | It is known that turtles find or identify food, mates, |
| is the case with most animals. | | | | and territory by their sense of smell. The vision of |
| Even though turtles do not have these visible pair of | | | | turtles is also excellent. They can differentiate |
| external ears, they can, nevertheless, discern sounds, | | | | between colors and shapes, things that are crucial to |
| and "hear." They do not hear as acutely as we | | | | animals that live or spend time in water. What turtles |
| humans, but they do have the necessary auditory | | | | lack in a refined sense of hearing, they make up for |
| nerve and corresponding brain center required for | | | | in their sense of smell and their excellent vision. |
| them to feel and decipher surrounding vibrations. | | | | Some people consider their pets just as important as |
| Sound waves are gathered via the small external | | | | their children. Whether true or not, some turtle |
| holes found on the side of the turtle's head, and | | | | owners imagine their beloved pets are able to |
| transmitted via the middle ear, which is well designed | | | | recognize and respond to their voices! |
| to increase the volume of the sound waves. Thus, | | | | We have no objective data to prove or disprove this |
| although scientists feel that turtles rely more heavily | | | | theory. The way a turtle responds may, as some |
| on their senses of vision and smell, which are much | | | | experts claim, come from the way they sense |
| more highly developed, they are definitely capable of | | | | vibrations around them. Probably it is not as much the |
| hearing. | | | | sound or distinctive quality of the voice via the |
| As the anatomical make-up of each animal has a | | | | turtle's ears, but the vibrations coming from closing |
| corresponding physiological function, the reason that | | | | doors and other vibration-inducing motions or |
| the ears of turtles are located inside their heads is so | | | | stimulations around them. Let's hope that future |
| they are more aero-dynamic whenever they are in | | | | research will help us determine the truth about turtle |
| water. This would allow them to detect sounds and | | | | ears! |
| vibrations in their surroundings. | | | | |