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Next time a relative tells you they can't use a touchscreen, show them this video of a tortoise mastering the skill with ease. 

Researchers trained four red-footed tortoises to use a touchscreen in return for strawberries and other treats. 

The animals were able to identify between red triangles and blue dots on the display, and even learnt which side of the screen to press.

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The tortoises were trained to use the touchscreen by researchers from the University of Lincoln. They began by teaching the animals basic touchscreen functions, using their noses. During the main experiment, the animals were trained to peck a red triangle in the centre of the touchscreen (pictured)

The animals also were able to transfer this knowledge to a real-life, offline experiment.

Professor Anna Wilkinson from the University of Lincoln led the study, alongside researchers from the University of Vienna.

The tortoises were called Esme, Quinn, Molly and Emily.

During the main experiment, the animals were trained to 'peck' a red triangle in the centre of the touchscreen.

When two blue circles flashed, they had to peck either the circle on the left, or the one on the right, to get a treat. 

The correct side was programmed into the machine.  

The touchscreen was placed in a rectangular box with white plastic walls and a floor covered with grey, rubber lining.

A feeder hole was positioned in the centre of the floor, just below the touchscreen.

Once the triangle was touched, using the tortoise's nose, it disappeared and two blue circles appeared (pictured). If the circle on the designated side was chosen, both images disappeared and a strawberry was dropped through an automatic feeder

Pressing the correct circle resulted in the feeder plate turning, which caused a strawberry to drop into the feeder hole.

'In recent years red-footed tortoises have been shown to be proficient in a number of spatial cognition tasks,' explained the researchers.

'The present study investigated the ability of the tortoise to learn a spatial task in which the response required was simply to touch a stimulus presented in a given position on a touchscreen.

'The results show that red-footed tortoises are able to operate a touchscreen and can successfully solve a spatial two-choice task.'

The training is significant because red-footed tortoises (stock image pictured) don't have a hippocampus - an area of the brain associated with learning, memory and spatial navigation. They instead use an area known as the medial cortex, which is associated with decision making in humans

The training is significant because red-footed tortoises don't have a hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with learning, memory and spatial navigation, Wilkinson told Live Science.

They use an area known as the medial cortex, which is associated with decision making in humans.

In a second experiment, the two tortoises applied their knowledge to a real-life environment.

The researchers used two blue bowls and placed them in a similar position to the blue circles on the screen.

The tortoises went to the bowl on the same side as the circles they had previously been trained to touch.