Do sharks eat turtles? See how great white shark attack and eat sea turtles! Learn how turtles protect themselves from the fierceful chomp
Sharks are carnivores and surely they are one of the most popular sea hunters that we, humans, are afraid of. And to some extent, we should be afraid because these animals are definitely one of the most powerful predators that we can currently meet in the sea. Besides Killer Whales and some other species of these majestic maritime mammals, different types of sharks hunt on a wide range of different animals. But can a shark attack and then eat sea turtles? In fact, yes, it can.
This predator is not a picky one. It means that they will hunt for many different animals. And our reptile can be one of them. You see, if sharks are hungry, they will look at any fish, or think about octopuses. Sometimes even a whale – or at least the dead one – becomes their prey. But what does a typical hunt for a reptile look like? Do they swim around it and wait for a convenient moment to attack? Or perhaps they apply some other strategy?
There are quite a lot of questions as far as sharks and their dietary plans are concerned. No wonder – different users want to find answers and understand the real threat that awaits the turtles in the wilderness. In this article, I will try to share all the knowledge I gathered for the last several years from numerous meetings and scientific papers that I read. There, I will try to talk about all the shark species and determine their danger towards turtles. Besides that, you are going to see some other creatures that eat baby turtles as well as adult ones and turtle eggs.
What does a shark attack look like? What tactics do they use to break through the turtle shell?
The first thing that you need to understand is that despite the fact sharks can eat turtles, these reptiles rarely ever fall prey to sharks. It is mainly due to the fact that most of the more popular shark species do not share the same habitat as sea turtles. Furthermore, if there is a turtle that swims next to a shark, it is usually a large one, or at least of a medium size. Therefore, attacking such an opponent may not be the smartest idea, especially if there are plenty of other fish that will not fight back.
Still, there have been documented attacks of sharks when they were trying to fight and then eat a turtle. Usually, they just swim around in search for an appropriate angle to attack. Turtles need to get to the surface in order to get some air. Sharks, on the other hand, can wait it out and then try to attack from the bottom. During that, their main goal is to pull their limbs and try to rip it apart from the body or at least lacerate it to a large extent, so the animal will not be able to retract to its shell appropriately.
What species of shark usually attack and eat sea turtles?
Now you know that sharks don’t usually dine on turtles. However, it is important to remember that some species of these dangerous and incredibly powerful fish will meet sea turtles more often than the others. And, as a result, they may even find them tasty.
Tiger shark
One of the most common shark species that enjoy eating sea turtles is Tiger Shark. These fish evolved in such a way, they have a special, specialized tooth. As a result, they are capable of using that in order to cut through the shell of a turtle. As a result, they usually grab the turtle and shake their head as long as the tooth pierces through the turtle’s shell.
Great white shark
Great white sharks are interested in attacking and eating seals than turtles. You see, they are slightly larger and provide them with a larger portion of nutrition. It doesn’t change the fact turtles, both larger specimens, small sea turtles, or even juveniles can be a very easy prey for these animals. Their strength is incredible.
Reef sharks
Reef sharks are definitely too small to attack and to prey on sea turtles. However, they usually don’t meet too often because reef sharks, as the name may suggest, stay close to coral reefs, where there is abundance of food and having so many animals in the ocean, they don’t necessarily need to fight with the sea turtle’s shell.
Hammerhead sharks
The primary location of Hammerhead sharks is near the bottom of the seas. There, they usually prey on smaller animals. Since turtles prefer to stay near the surface of water, they don’t usually meet up. Still, if an opportunity arises, the hammerhead shark will definitely attack a sea turtle – as long as it is not too large. They avoid bigger animals.
Are there any animals that hunt a sea turtle outside the open sea?
Truth to be told, there are quite a lot of different predators that can and definitely will prey on turtles or even tortoises.
Do foxes eat turtles
Yes, foxes do eat turtles. They are known to prey primarily on their eggs. However, together with other canine animals (wild dogs, coyotes), they look for juveniles or baby turtles, or even turtle eggs. They are not keen on adult, large specimens because of their great defenses. So, it is safe to assume that on land, young turtles and the smallest of species should be afraid of foxes.
Do crocodiles eat turtles
There are some videos showing a turtle that rides on the back of a crocodile. Although it is a very funny video, such a thing does not happen as often as people may think. They are not bodies and if an opportunity arises (meaning a crocodile or an alligator is hungry), these predators will eat our pets.
Do hawks eat turtles?
As far as aerial predators are concerned, hawks are believed to be one of the most violent carnivorous birds out there. It is all due to the fact that instead of using its beak to kill the prey, they rely on claws. They use it to tear the prey’s body apart. Interestingly, their diet is quite diverse and has a lot of different smaller animals. As you can guess, it also means that they will enjoy a turtle egg, a hatchling, as well as very small adult sea turtles.
Now you know if sharks eat turtles!
Sharks are one of the most effective predators in the world. They are surely top hunters and usually if they find prey, they are not going to let it go away. Large sharks eat sea turtles no matter if their prey is small or large. They are capable of cutting through a turtle’s body either thanks to their enormous strength or a biological evolution.
Still, even if sharks are known for their top hunting behavior, most of the sharks do not treat turtles as the main part of their diet. If you see a small shark, it will most definitely leave a turtle alone. Provided it is not dealing with baby sea turtles, because these ones are a great source of meal that will not fight back. Or at least not as hard as adult turtles.
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