Does a hawk eat a turtle? Find out what the most common birds that eat turtles are and how they compare to other turtle predators!
Hawks are believed to be one of the most aggressive and violent bird predators there are. In most cases, they prey on small animals such as snakes, lizards, fish, rabbits, or other birds. However, their diet is not strict and if they can catch something else, they will surely do that. I have received quite a lot of questions about whether a hawk is capable of killing and eating adult turtles as well as young turtles and their eggs. Well, the answer is yes – a hawk can eat a turtle, especially the eggs and hatchlings.
However, how does it happen that this predator tends to eat turtle species? Well, even if it is not its first pick, smaller turtles are still a delicious meat that provide the bird with all the nutritional values they really need. As a result of that, if they find such a reptile, they will most definitely eat it. But what does the hunt really look like? What kind of technique do they use and is it possible for sea turtles, tortoises or other turtle species to defend themselves?
I had the privilege of owning quite a lot of sea turtles as well as freshwater turtles in the past several decades. Some time ago I decided to learn more about the natural enemies these pets have, and this is how I came across a number of articles. There, the authors tried to answer the question of what animals eat turtles. Thanks to that and my previous expertise on the subject, I was able to come up with some interesting advice for all the people who worry about their animals.
How do animals like hawks hunt turtles?
The very first thing we need to understand is that hawks differ from other aerial predators. You see, in order to kill the prey, they use their talons instead of beaks. They simply shred the animal and then consume what’s left of it. Therefore, when a hawk hunts turtles, they will most likely target the ones that are easier to catch. Therefore, usually hawks are known to eat turtle eggs and hatchlings, because they are unaware of how to defend themselves properly.
Sometimes hawks may prey on adult turtles. Nonetheless, we need to remember that hawks also eat a lot of different animals and turtles are not their primary meal. Still, sometimes it is easy to spot a turtle nest and catch animals that are not fighting back (because they are unhatched yet) or they can’t do that in the right way since they hatched not that long ago.
What are other birds that eat turtles?
It is obvious to say that hawks are not the only birds that prey on turtles. Quite often we can see a number of different species such as eagles or crows. Furthermore, especially water-oriented birds love to eat these animals. Here is a list of some of the most famous turtle-hunting birds:
- Crane
- Heron
- Egret
- Stork
- Seagull.
Obviously, there is also a huge list of animals that can eat turtles
Unfortunately, almost every predator that treats turtles as a good snack will hunt for box turtles as well as many other small turtle species – mainly due to the fact that they are not going to defend themselves so efficiently. Even if a box turtle decides to retract to its shell, sooner or later one of the predators will get to it.
As far as other predators are concerned, we have to divide the list into three categories. Aerial predators, land predators, and marine predators. Since we have already discussed the aerial hunters, let’s focus on the two other categories:
Ground predators
All the animals that threaten turtles on land are part of this group. And interestingly, there are quite a lot of mammals here. Do foxes eat turtles? Not only that, but also a raccoon, a weasel, and some other too! They will surely scavenge the area in search for turtle nests as well as turtle babies. However, in most cases they will not move on larger turtles or tortoises. A lot of mustelids like to hunt these animals just as well. The most prominent representative of the group is a skunk. As far as canines, foxes aren’t the only dog-like creatures that eat turtles. For example, coyotes or wild as well as domestic dogs may also find a turtle exceptionally tasty.
Water predators
Do sharks eat turtles? Well, one thing is certain – turtles can’t feel safe in the water either. You see, a dolphin may feel like a turtle is a good snack for it. Besides that, white sharks and killer whales also love to hunt these reptiles. Sadly, cannibalism is not an uncommon phenomenon among these animals. As a result, the diet of larger turtles including turtles, hatchlings, as well as turtle eggs is quite common.
Another reptile that eats a turtle or a tortoise? A lot of them!
Turtles in the wild have a lot of threats to both adult and baby ones. As a result, it does not end on the list presented above. You see, even other reptiles tend to hunt tortoises and turtles. And even if some of them do not necessarily treat our pet turtle as their primary source of meals, it is highly likely they will eat turtles the moment they get a chance.
- Crocodiles and alligators – if you ever wondered do crocodiles eat turtles, then here is your answer. These guys do not share the same habitat as turtles or tortoises, so they are not usually a problem. However, there have been many documented situations of alligators and crocodiles eating a turtle. Still, there are cases where a large turtle’s shell is strong enough the bigger reptile can’t break it. In other cases we can see turtles riding alligators. However, it happens very rarely and only for a while – during the period where a predator is not hungry and wants to sunbathe – just like turtles.
- Snakes – a lot of larger snakes love to eat hatching turtles and turtle babies. They also eat eggs. Rarely it happens that a snake eats a turtle that is mature and big. Usually, they focus on smaller prey – the size of the rats or mice.
- Lizards – some lizards will dine on turtle eggs because this is what they usually do. Most lizard species are nest-hunters because they simply enjoy a quick and easy meal in the form of eggs of other animals.
Since you know the list of all birds of prey and other predator species, see how turtles protect themselves!
Obviously, turtles are not as defenseless as some people might think. Obviously, juveniles and baby turtles are not going to be able to protect themselves the way mature turtles do. That is why most predators hunt babies or unhatched ones. Still, there are several tricks up their “sleeves” they can use to either withstand the attack or simply scare away the attacker.
First of all, the ultimate defense of these animals – the turtle shell. It is incredibly sturdy. Some studies showed that a healthy and above-average turtle has a protective outer layer that is capable of withstanding even hundreds of pounds of pressure. It is said that this defense has a fracture toughness at the level of 36 MPa per meter square.
As a result of such sturdy defense, rarely it happens that turtles cannot feel safe when they decide to retract back to their shell. Obviously, there are many cases where predators still got them there – either because of the possibility to catch a limb and tear it apart from its body or simply because their jaws are even more powerful than the shell itself.
That is why sometimes you can see a turtle that decides to defend itself with the use of its mouth. It is also a very powerful instrument, since the force of the jaw is incredibly large and, as a result of that, any predator needs to be careful. There have been quite a lot of situations where a turtle would just cut a snake in half while defending itself.
Snapping turtles are nowhere near of being a prey
There is one particular type of turtle and it definitely is not going to be a prey. You see, snapping turtles are believed to be one of the most aggressive turtle species out there. Their biology is a little different from other representatives of the family, because they cannot retract to shell their whole body. However, they don’t need to because of their incredibly powerful jaw and swift attacks that can surprise more than one hunter. Snapping turtles are known to eat a lot of meat and even if they are still omnivore, their diet is mostly carnivorous at this point.
The defense mechanism in the case of this species is attack, so even if it does not hunt amphibians, smaller fish, or even smaller snakes (water snakes specifically), they will use their 1000-pound bite force to get rid of most of the attackers. Alligator snapping turtle, which is a subspecies of a snapping turtle, is capable of biting off a human’s finger.
Now you know if hawks and other animals eat turtles!
Hawks eat turtles and that’s a fact. However, they do not specialize in eating these reptiles alone. Their diet is a bit more diverse. What is more, in most cases they are going to hunt baby turtles and turtle eggs, so adult specimens that are quite large are safe. At least as far as the hawks are concerned. You see, there are quite a lot of different animals that can hunt turtles, so they are not going to feel safe – neither in the water nor on land.
Still, turtles have some ways to protect themselves, so as long as we are dealing with a mature, above-average turtle, it will be fine. Interestingly, there are even some turtle species that do not necessarily have to be the prey. On the contrary, they are quite often the predator. I mean here snapping turtles, a very aggressive family of reptiles that will surely protect itself in a fierce manner.
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