SULCATA...PREDATOR or SCAVENGER (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS...NOT FOR THE WEAK)

[DeanS]

I was giving everyone their day-end soak, when I discovered Jamie jerking her head back and forth. Given that Aladar was less than 5 feet from her...I feared the worst. He has NEVER shown ANY aggression...and I didn't think he would now! As I approached, I noticed that she had a baby bird in her mouth...she had just scooped it up as it hit the ground...obviously having fallen from its nest. I ran to grab my camera...and in less than thirty seconds...this is what I came back to...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Maybe both! Great photo's.

 

[l0velesly]

Oh my goodness!

 

[badkitty]

Poor birdie

 

[dmarcus]

If its in there area it will be considered food by them...

 

[cemmons12]

Wow! That is pretty shocking to a point. I could understand it more if this was a wild Sulcata that was on its own. I think they will eat just about anything. And I base this off just having 1 Sulcata. Cooper will grab up anything with a halfway decent smell, and that's just the things I have caught him with. When he is outside I walk the whole yard with him to make sure he don't find cat/dog poop or anything else 4 that matter!

 

[N2TORTS]

Yummmie! .... Great shots .. and once again ..PROVEN MYTHS caught on film about Tortoises their diets , location .. bla bla bla .....
My Rf's and cherries will scarf down baby chicks and pinkies ...all day long.
Dean thanks for posting simply awesome! ...

JD~

 

[Laura]

one of my larger sulcatas was watching sparrows drink water out of their water hole. I noticed him move really slow and stand up on his tippy toes.. He was about 3 feet away.. i wasnt sure what he was doing, but I wnoder if it was like setting a trap.. waiting... then wham..
I think there is a lot we dont know about these guys...

 

[Tom]

I think there is a lot we dont know about these guys...

I second THAT motion.

Amazing pics Dean. So tell me... What is your favorite species of tortoise?

 

[Jacob]

This shows even captive reptiles are still wild
Funny You posted this the birds have been bad around here where i live in paso robles, ca
the birds are nesting everywhere i found a couple dead babies in my tortoise pen, i removed them as soon as
i seen them so my guy wouldnt eat them.

 

[wellington]

As much as I hate seeing things like that. It is pretty amazing. I wouldn't have thought he would eat the whole bird. More like a nibble or two. I guess if you place your tort in the wild, grazing along the deserts, plains, marshes, where ever the certain species is from, they are not eating off of the clean, bug, dirt, feces, animal, etc, free plates/tile we feed them from. They are getting what ever is in their path of eating.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm sorry, but one of our members recently got a tongue lashing because they condoned their cat hunting wild creatures. Shame, shame, Dean! Probably a song bird, at that. Strictly illegal.

 

[DeanS]

I'm sorry, but one of our members recently got a tongue lashing because they condoned their cat hunting wild creatures. Shame, shame, Dean! Probably a song bird, at that. Strictly illegal.

ONLY if you consider a sparrow a songbird!

I'm still kinda blown away...because Jamie's not even three years old yet!

 

[chairman]

Last year I caught my then 3 year old munching on the remains of a bird that one of the neighbor's barn cats left in her enclosure. There's good calcium in bone...

If we're voting, though, I have to go with scavenger over predator. I wish it was predator as my tortoise shed mice are too smart for traps and the wild snakes just aren't keeping up to my liking.

 

[bigred]

I'm sorry, but one of our members recently got a tongue lashing because they condoned their cat hunting wild creatures. Shame, shame, Dean! Probably a song bird, at that. Strictly illegal.

Very funny, I think I remember something about that

 

[reticguy76]

As with most wild animals, its all about opportunity.

Great pics

 

[Baoh]

Neat photographs. Several of my tortoises have either taken down live birds or eaten bird remains.

 

[tubularseco]

FANTASTIC PHOTOS!!!

 

[Dizisdalife]

About a month ago I found the remains of a bird in my sulcata's pen and assumed it to be the work of the local Coopers Hawk. Maybe not? May explain where the small feather in his night box came from.

 

[Laura]

Torts have been killed on highways etc.. and its not always due to them crossing. they have been witnesed eating roadkill and become it themselves...