MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: Can turtles get dizzy?

Date: Thu Dec 16 18:19:05 2004
Posted By: Alex Goddard, Grad student, Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 1101143232.Zo
Message:

Hi Karen-

     That's a good question! I did some looking around, and though I couldn't find anyone studying turtle dizziness, I did find a good clue. People have studied the turtle vestibular system - the system in the inner ear that is responsible for detecting body movement and keeping the balance.
     It's also the system that's responsible for the feeling of dizziness if we move around too wildly. Therefore, we can likely assume that if turtles have a vestibular system that's relatively similar to ours, it's possible to make them dizzy by spinning them around.
     I suppose you could test it, although I don't know if turtles walk fast enough to really sway back and forth like when we're dizzy. They may stop moving altogether, or pull into their shells.

     I hope that helps!

Here are some links about the vestibular system and dizziness

The organization of the vestibular system (see part D): http://thalamus.wustl.edu/course/audvest.html
Disorders of dizziness and the vestibular system: http://www.onbalance.com/patient_info/dizziness.aspx
-Alex G
cgoddard@fas.harvard.edu


Current Queue | Current Queue for Zoology | Zoology archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@madsci.org
© 1995-2004. All rights reserved.