are groundhogs a worry with tortoises?

HappyHermanns

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We have 3 baby Hermann's that don't have an outside enclosure yet.. We would like to get them outside asap, knowing it's best for them as hatchlings..:rolleyes::<3: BUT
We also have a family of ground hogs that live in our backyard.. 2 adults and 3 babies.. urgh!!!!!!
They have dug under our old shed (the adults were there when we moved in 2 years ago) and under our screened porch..
My hubby has tried to trap them and has failed a few times.. Any good tricks to help us with these unwanted critters??

I really don't want to put our babies out there and risk any curiosity the ground hogs might have..

We appreciate any help we can get!!
I want my backyard back!! :mad::mad:
 
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Yvonne G

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Can you call a wildlife rescue in your area?
 

Tom

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I don't know about ground hogs, but squirrels will pick up a baby and eat it like a cheeseburger. I would guess groundhogs could do the same.
 

wellington

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This is what they eat. I doubt you have to worry, unless you or torts invade on their home.
(Mostly herbivorous, groundhogs eat primarily wild grasses and other vegetation, including berries and agricultural crops, when available. Clover, alfalfa, dandelion, and coltsfoot are among preferred groundhog foods).from wiki
 

DPtortiose

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This is what they eat. I doubt you have to worry, unless you or torts invade on their home.
(Mostly herbivorous, groundhogs eat primarily wild grasses and other vegetation, including berries and agricultural crops, when available. Clover, alfalfa, dandelion, and coltsfoot are among preferred groundhog foods).from wiki

The next sentence states: "Groundhogs also eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects, snails and other small animals,". ;)

So yes, they can pose a threat.
 

wellington

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The next sentence states: "Groundhogs also eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects, snails and other small animals,". ;)

So yes, they can pose a threat.
Sorry, I guess I can't get that on my iPhone. Just tried again and nothing. Don't know why I am not getting the whole thing.
 

Tom

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This is what they eat. I doubt you have to worry, unless you or torts invade on their home.
(Mostly herbivorous, groundhogs eat primarily wild grasses and other vegetation, including berries and agricultural crops, when available. Clover, alfalfa, dandelion, and coltsfoot are among preferred groundhog foods).from wiki

This is also the same diet as squirrels.

I've worked with a lot of captive rodent species, including groundhogs. I find that while most rodents are vegetarian, they are also opportunistic omnivores. Dog and cat kibble are regularly fed to growing babies and pregnant mama rodents.
 

HappyHermanns

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This is what they eat. I doubt you have to worry, unless you or torts invade on their home.
(Mostly herbivorous, groundhogs eat primarily wild grasses and other vegetation, including berries and agricultural crops, when available. Clover, alfalfa, dandelion, and coltsfoot are among preferred groundhog foods).from wiki
Thanks for the info!! That is good to know.
We are still concerned that they mich try to dig under it, even on accident..
I feel like a new parent just bringing home my baby, very protective..lol
 

Pearly

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I don't know about ground hogs, but squirrels will pick up a baby and eat it like a cheeseburger. I would guess groundhogs could do the same.
Eeeeeyewww!!!! That sounds horrible! I love squirrels! We have few in our backyard and they are all over my subdivision. Back in Poland it was such a treat to spot a squirrel at a park... Now, I'll have that"cheeseburger" image in my head...,
 

DPtortiose

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Squirrels are rodents and are related to rats, but people have a far easier time imagining a rat as predator rather than a squirrel. There are videos on youtube of squirrels killing snakes and attacking dogs. It's probably the big fluffy tail that makes people think it's harmless. Pandas have the same 'problem', several people have been seriously mauled by panda's because they wanted to hug them.

I probably shouldn’t mention that some ‘cute’ bird species like the great tit, kill other smaller birds to eat their brains. Beware of the cute and fluffy!
 

RayRay

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Squirrels are rodents and are related to rats, but people have a far easier time imagining a rat as predator rather than a squirrel. There are videos on youtube of squirrels killing snakes and attacking dogs. It's probably the big fluffy tail that makes people think it's harmless. Pandas have the same 'problem', several people have been seriously mauled by panda's because they wanted to hug them.

I probably shouldn’t mention that some ‘cute’ bird species like the great tit, kill other smaller birds to eat their brains. Beware of the cute and fluffy!

People also get mad if people mention that domestic cats are invasive, and that they should be kept inside, and I think it has to do with how cute cats are versus kudzu or hogs. The strays need to be culled or fixed (fixing them lets them keep their territory with out others coming back in but reducing the population over time) and will get very angry when you mention their fluffy little buttons is killing a ton of native birds, lizards, frogs, and other stuff.
 

DPtortiose

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People also get mad if people mention that domestic cats are invasive, and that they should be kept inside, and I think it has to do with how cute cats are versus kudzu or hogs. The strays need to be culled or fixed (fixing them lets them keep their territory with out others coming back in but reducing the population over time) and will get very angry when you mention their fluffy little buttons is killing a ton of native birds, lizards, frogs, and other stuff.

Yeah, not to mention the dangerous zootonic diseases cats carry and the reproduction rate cats have:

Cats-info1_small.jpg


Perhaps we're getting a bit off topic ;)
 

RayRay

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Are groundhogs similar to prairie dogs? I would like to have a pet prairie dog when I get my own place, but I don't want him to kill the tortoises I will have also when I get my own place.
 

Sara G.

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They're vaguely similar. Prairie dogs are slightly smaller I believe but I'm not sure that they would make very good pets.
I see them being sold in stores pretty often but I wonder how they would do once they reached sexual maturity (a good amount of "wild" animals made pets--raccoons, squirrels, etc.--can get aggressive once they hit that age). My cousin had 2 of them but they were very young. I think she got them neutered/spayed though. Maybe that would help counter possible aggression issues. She wound up getting rid of them anyway. I don't know why.

But I would make sure you have habitats that are very separate if you're going to have a prairie dog. I think they eat a decent amount of animal protein and probably wouldn't be against taking a bit or two out of the leg of a tortoise.
 
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