If you own a turtle and care about it a lot, you may wonder if your pet knows you and cares about you as well. So if you want to know whether turtles can recognise their owners, the answer is yes, they do. However, it doesn’t look like a usual bond between owners and their pets, for example like the bond between people and dogs. Turtles do recognise their owners and they understand that they play a vital role in their well-being, but they are not able to feel any familiarity towards them.
Turtles use their senses to recognise us as their owners. Sense of sight helps them to shape us in their minds. Due to their sense of smell, these animals recognise our scent. The last one, which is the sense of hearing, helps turtles to hear us talking from another room (Do turtles hear ? all information in mentioned article). They really enjoy listening to us and other sounds as their life sometimes can be boring.
My answer to the question is based on my own research since I’ve noticed that my turtle behaves differently when I hold it in comparison to the way it behaves when someone else holds it. That’s why, you can read my article and be sure that every piece of information I want to provide you with is reliable.
Is it possible to see if your turtle likes you?
Now you know that your turtle does recognise you but, still, you may wonder if it likes you. Firstly, you have to bear in mind that your turtle sees you as a food dispenser since you’re the one who brings food to the pet. This may not sound nice, but you need to accept the fact that it’s of huge importance for turtles. That’s why, if you bring food to your turtle constantly, it will start developing some trust towards you.
But how to see if it trusts you? Turtles show their trust simply by cooperating with us and not being aggressive towards us. When you hold the turtle, certainly it won’t bite you. On the other hand, when your pet is held by someone it doesn’t recognise, they may become a little bit aggressive towards this person. I know that it may not be enough for you, but this trust the turtle gives you is all you can get out of it.
How can a turtle show its affection?
At the very beginning, turtles show their affection by recognising their owners. Unfortunately, these animals do not behave like dogs and cats and they do not run happily towards us and do not hug us. However, turtles will express their affection to their owners simply by following them around with their eyes or head. When you walk in the room, your beloved pet will start following you with their eyes immediately.
Moreover, your turtle may swim across the whole tank following you if you move from one side of the tank to another. This is how your turtle will show affection and, sometimes, this is the way it begs for food.
It’s also worth mentioning that turtles might rub their head against you which is their natural behavior. When they do such a thing, it simply means they trust you. It’s also their way to express their affection for your person. In addition, these animals can follow you around when you put them on the ground.
Also, as a turtle’s owner, you can try to pet its shell. Some turtles do enjoy it but, still, you have to be careful and pet it gently. If your turtle doesn’t walk away, it means it feels affection for you.
Nonetheless, there are some situations when turtles do not perform any of these actions and do not show any affection. However, you don’t need to worry as turtles are solitary animals and are happy as long as you provide them with food and keep their tank clean.
What to do in order to make your turtle like you more?
If you suppose your turtle doesn’t like you much, there are a few things you can do in order to make your pet like you more. First of all, what’s important is consistency. You have to feed your beloved turtle consistently. Not only will you be noticed but also your beloved turtle will respect both you and your presence. It’ll happen as the turtle will associate a positive action with your person.
Furthermore, treats are something turtles truly love. Between meals, you are allowed to give your pet some treats. Definitely such an action will help the turtle to like you more.
What’s also of huge importance is trying to play with turtles at least once a day. A good idea is to take your turtle out of the tank. The tank is what turtles know very well and they do love being out, therefore, giving them an opportunity to explore some other areas will give them a moment they can cherish. In such a situation, your turtle will walk around the room and, even, it may start following you. Then, you can be sure that your pet likes you.
Additionally, you need to bear in mind that you cannot be too loud around your turtle as it may become a bit stressed while hearing such noises. It happens due to the turtles’ great sense of hearing.
Here is a list of things you should do and things you should avoid
Now I would like to provide you with some important tips you should and shouldn’t follow when it comes to touching turtles.
Remember to always approach your turtle from the front since your pet feels the need to see you. If the turtle sees only your arm, it will definitely become frightened and, consequently, it will be more likely to bite you. Additionally, bear in mind that your turtle needs to be placed on any kind of a low surface; therefore, it seems to be the best idea to put it carefully on the floor.
You cannot put the turtle on the edge of any surface because it may fall and injure itself.
Also, you are allowed to pet your turtle mainly on the top of its head as well as its cheeks and chin. It’s worth adding that you’d better avoid picking up turtles. However, if you want to do so, remember to pick up your pet by its back and not by its front. Later on, make sure that all of your turtle’s legs can touch your open hand.
What’s vital to point out, turtles’ shells aren’t invincible, that’s why, be careful while touching them as shells can get scratched easily making them vulnerable and susceptible to some kinds of infections.
Moreover, as far as infections are concerned, turtles are known to carry a wide range of diseases on their skin which may be very harmful to humans. To avoid such a situation, you have to follow proper hygiene rules and wash your hands every time you return your pet to its place.
Now you know whether your turtle recognises you as its owner!
I hope that I’ve provided you with some vital information concerning whether your turtle recognises you as its owner. Moreover, you have found out how to check if your beloved pet likes you or not. In addition, now you’ve got some tips on how to make your turtle like you. It’s also important to know what things you should do and what things you should avoid when it comes to turtles. If you follow these rules, you can be sure that your relation with your turtle will be appropriate.
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