Do Turtles Recognize Their Owners?
[3 Stunning Facts]

A common question that is always asked is, do turtles recognize their owners? All pet owners expect to have a bond with their pets. The relationship is to be triggered by our behaviors towards the pets and ensuring their safety. Being kind to pets ensures that you gain their trust. With this trust, the pets will submit to you, and they will try to show you that they also care about you.

I find this not to be the same case with turtles. I always thought my turtle never paid any attention to me, so I decided to find out the reason why. After doing some research, I came to understand their behavior and today. I can proudly share what I found out.

So do turtles recognize their owners? Well, the answer is yes. Turtles do recognize their owners. That is the reason why your turtle will not be aggressive and defensive towards you like he would be to a stranger. What you should understand is that turtles are unsocial creatures. This should explain their behavior toward their owners.

Turtles are intelligent animals, and they can collect information. The only downside is that their intelligence cannot be compared to the knowledge of cats and dogs. Their little intelligence helps them gather the information they think is useful. Some of the valuable information to turtles are the people who bring them food. 

Let us now try to understand how the turtles recognize their owners by collecting information.

How Do Turtles Recognize Their Owners?

Since we know that turtles will not show any affection to the owners, although they recognize them, let’s learn how they, their owners. Just like human beings, the turtles have five senses with which they use the hearing to capture the owner’s sound, eyes to get the visual appearance of the owner and nose to get the smell of the owner.

With these three senses, the turtle can distinguish you from other people. Once a turtle recognizes you, it means that you play a crucial role in their lives. You play the role of helping the turtle survive.

I came to understand that the only thing that matters to turtles is their survival. They avoid everything that tries to go against their survival. Since you help them survive, you get to earn their trust.

Turtles do not know how to show their appreciation,  and you should, therefore, feel satisfied when they don’t get aggressive when you handle them. This means that you have earned their trust and you are not a threat.

How To Get You Pet Turtle To Like You

There are a few things you can do to make turtle likes you.

Start by ensuring that the turtle does not fear you. If he is not comfortable, he will get defensive, and this means that he will be ready to bite. You can ensure that he is not scared by moving around the tank when he eats. This way, the turtle will get used to your appearance.

Since turtles care about food a lot, try feeding him by your hand. If he does, try petting his neck and head. Helpful will be a very big step in making your turtle love you. Whenever you want to see or interact with the turtle, always make sure you approach him from the front. That way, he will have a clear view of what is happening around him. Try rubbing the top of his head gently. Read his signs. If you notice him throwing his head up with his mouth open, he does not appreciate the act, and you should not force it. The next thing is to rub under his chin with your finger gently. Advance your petting to the neck. If he does not retreat, massage his shell. You can also do it with a soft toothbrush. These simple tricks are what make a turtle to like you. When you are free, you can also place the turtle on your laps.

Just be careful that he does not fall off. Also, be cautious of the bacterias that turtles carry. Your turtle will have gotten used to you and will always know you from far.

Do Turtles Know Their Names?

From what I have experienced, turtles do not know their names. They have ears, and they do hear. Probably the hatching of their eggs or mating. Their ears can perceive a few frequencies. I don’t think they would care so much about their names.

Turtles are smart, and they will only come to you when they want to. They will also come to you when you have snacks, not because you called out their names. What helps them recognize you is the sense of vibration. They can notice footsteps and other vibrations. This combined with the smell and sight help them to recognize you from other people.

The names are only relevant to the owners and not the turtles. Only the owners who think the turtles know their names will keep on calling.

Do Box Turtles Recognize Their Owners

Box turtles are known to be among the most intelligent turtles. They have been proven to find their way back after traveling for very long distances.

It is believed that they use the same way they used. They are also good at finding their way around mazes. This calls for so much intelligence.

Is recognizing their owners part of their intelligence? Well, yes. The box turtle can recognize their owners just like other turtles. They can recognize their owner’s voice and appearance. Some of them do get excited when they see their owners. Some move towards their bowls of food when their owners approach. This is how intelligent they are.

Do Pet Turtles Recognize Their Owners

There are different pet turtles. All of them are different in some ways. Some are smarter than others, and some have great memories than others.

What is essential to turtles is their survival and food is part of their survival. Whoever provides food to the turtle is a significant character to them. They are therefore bound to recognize them.

All pet turtles do recognize their owners. Their unsocial behavior should not bother you at all. These turtles will see you as the food provider and nothing else. You should appreciate this as they have no other way of appreciating you other than feeling comfortable around you.

Summing Up

To conclude, turtles are among the cutest pets to have. They are calm, and they would not harm the owners. These animals are smart, and they can understand a few things and tricks. They can learn the appearance of their owner, their scent, and hear some footsteps vibration. Although they can recognize you, they don’t know how to show that they are grateful. It is hard to say this, but in reality, turtles do not care about you. They only care about the food you give them. If you happened to leave, that would not be a big deal to them. They will move on with their lives as nothing happened. Turtles are survivors, and they can survive in the wild also. I know if they were social animals, they would show their appreciation.