Cruelty claims after tortoises forced to make film carrying iPads on backs

Online petitioners are calling on the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado, US, to cancel an upcoming exhibit by a Chinese-born artist featuring three tortoises with iPads mounted on their backs.

iPad tortoise row spreads. (Cai Studios)

The Cai Guo-Qiang exhibit called "Moving Ghost Town" will open on Saturday as part of the US town's new $US45 million ($A48.69 million) museum.

The African Sulcata tortoises will roam the museum's roof garden. Each will have two iPads showing video of three area ghost towns, which the museum says were filmed by the animals.

The petition calls the exhibit animal abuse and asks that the animals be given to a sanctuary.

The museum stands by the exhibit and says a veterinarian is overseeing their care. It says the iPads are on mounts attached with an epoxy used to attach tracking devices to wild animals.