Do snakes eat turtles? Here is how dangerous these carnivores can be for our pet reptiles!
Turtles are now one of the most popular reptiles to keep as pets. They are certainly a very interesting specimen to have because they do require so much time and effort to keep them healthy. However, some people tend to keep more than just one type of reptile in their tank. Another popular specimen that people like are snakes. However, is it possible to keep them in one habitat? Do snakes eat turtles?
Well, yes, some snakes can eat turtles. Even if it is not as common a phenomenon as some others may think, these omnivores will prey on smaller turtles, baby turtles as well as their eggs. As a result of that, keeping them in one tank is a very bad idea, especially if you want to make sure that your turtle stays healthy and it has all the things it wants without any stressful situations.
But how can a snake eat a turtle? Is it even possible for the hunter to kill its prey? And what are the methods that turtles can use to defend themselves from these predators? There are quite a lot of things to figure out, so in this article I will try to answer most of the questions. First, I will focus on the fact that killing a turtle is not an easy task for a snake because there are some mechanisms that our beloved omnivores apply. After that, I will name the snake species that threaten turtles the most and focus on other aspects of snake preying on turtles.
Is it possible for a snake to even kill and eat a turtle? Yes, but it all depends on the prey
Before we carry on with the subject, we need to know some things about the snakes themselves. You see, the main part of the snake’s diet is to look for smaller animals that are easy to find, catch, and then kill. Sadly for them, turtles do not come under this category too often. You see, they are not as defenseless as rats or mice. Nor are they as small as these rodents.
Here is what turtles do to defend against snakes
Turtles, on the other hand, can bite and some of the species (for example snapping turtles) are even capable of cutting a snake in half. Therefore, it is definitely not wise for a snake to attack a turtle that is rather big and powerful. Obviously, it is important to understand that they are also hard to kill because of their natural defense mechanism.
The shell of a turtle is incredibly hard
One of the main reasons why snakes are having a very hard time killing and eating a turtle is because their shell is incredibly sturdy. You see, the average pressure that the shell can withstand is at the level of 620 pounds. And this number refers to a shell that is of average size. Larger turtles will surely withstand even more. The moment a turtle senses it is in danger, they can simply retract to its shell and stay there for as long as a hunter is attempting to kill and swallow a turtle. Interested look if sharks can eat turtle.
What are the snake species that threaten turtles?
Though in most cases these predators have a very hard time not only attacking and killing a turtle, but also digesting its shell, there are some species that will surely appreciate smaller species of turtles, their babies, and obviously their eggs.
- Kingsnakes
Known for their very varied diet and quite a large size, Kingsnakes will definitely look at baby turtles and reptile eggs since it is a relatively easy prey.
- Desert Snakes
Quite similar to Kingsnakes, Desert Snakes are as large as the previous described specimen. As a result, they would definitely be able to eat turtles’ eggs and already hatched babies. Still, they rarely ever feed on turtles. When they do, they mostly focus on eggs and babies.
- The Mexican burrowing python
A very interesting case of a snake that relies heavily on eating turtle eggs. This particular specimen treats unhatched turtles as a great source of nutrition.
There are some other species that seem like a threat for a turtle or a tortoise. Garter snakes are one of them. However, even if most snakes eat baby turtles and eggs, this one is not exactly into that.
Can a snake eat turtle eggs?
As I just mentioned some of the species that feed mostly on turtle eggs, yes. Snakes can easily eat turtle eggs. To be fair, this is the most common and probably the only relatively safe way for a snake to eat a turtle – even if it is an unhatched one. Eggs are easily digestible by these predators and, since they have to sustain life itself, are quite nutritious.
And what about baby turtles?
Though it happens less than feeding on eggs, seeing snakes that eat baby turtles is still much more probable than seeing a snake that attacks and tries to eat an adult turtle. One of the reasons for such a choice is the fact that the baby turtles’ shells have not reached their maximum hardness yet. As a result, it is much easier to digest it and, obviously, baby turtles are incredibly small. For example, a baby box turtle is only 1-2 inches long.
Turtles and snakes live together in one habitat? Not a chance
The main reason why you are not going to see a snake and turtle in the same habitat is because they will simply kill each other. Yes, even some turtle species have all the tools they need, sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and large, hard enough shells to protect themselves from the predator.
Also, remember that snakes and turtles cannot live together because they have different eating habits. Snakes have been known for their long eating intervals – they spend most of their time waiting and then, after a while, they like to eat huge creatures that will last for a long time. As a result of these things, seeing a snake and a turtle in the same tank is a bad idea. However, there are other reasons why we should avoid such a situation.
- Different environment and temperature
The enclosure you have to set up for a turtle and a snake is different. It all depends on a particular species, but they largely differ in terms of temperature they need, the level of humidity, as well as the things they eat. Besides that, snakes live in burrows and rarely ever they move outside. Because of that, seeing the snake and the turtle in one place is not wise.
- Territorial animals
If you have a turtle, then you are perfectly aware of their territorial behavior. Did you know that the same thing applies to snakes? These reptiles will surely become hostile after a while when they feel like the other is staying on their own territory. Obviously, if there is a mating season or both reptiles are pregnant, the aggressive behavior will escalate quickly.
Turtles eat snakes? Yes, it is possible!
Not everyone realizes that, but there are some sea turtle species as well as terrestrial ones that will treat snakes as a good treat. Snapping turtles are known as pet reptiles that mark a snake as their prey. These guys are incredibly aggressive and, as their name suggests, they love to snap things with their jaws. Furthermore, they are very strong and, at the same time, love to eat some meat – especially one of the subspecies, namely Alligator snapping turtle.
Besides that, we have to remember that some snakes are relatively small and may live in the natural habitat of turtles. One of such examples is water snakes. Water snakes like to stay in the water for small fish, amphibians, and cricket frogs. However, if it sees a turtle, and additionally it is a really big one, it will most definitely run, or rather swim away, for its life.
Luckily for both these reptiles, rarely ever turtles attract snakes and vice versa. Yes, snakes are known for their love of turtle eggs, but if you keep turtles in the house, you will not see snakes preying on smaller freshwater turtles or their eggs in the habitat.
Now you know if a snake can eat a turtle!
Snakes rarely ever attack turtles and try to eat them. The reason for that is quite simple – it is not worth a hassle. You see, most adult turtles can defend themselves quite effectively by either retracting to their shells or with the use of their powerful jaws. Besides that, even if a snake finds a turtle that is dead or is dying, eating a shell is almost never a good idea, since they can’t digest it with ease.
Still, snakes do eat turtles that are very small and babies. Some predators even specialize in turtle eggs. A big surprise for some of you may be the fact that some turtles like to (especially the aggressive and mainly carnivore ones) hunt and eat snakes, specifically smaller ones. Snapping turtles eat snakes, especially the smaller ones. They are known to eat a lot of meat, and some smaller predators like a corn snake or a tropical snake may be a good alternative.
Even if the chances for a turtle or snake to eat each other is not big, we should most definitely avoid keeping them in the same tank. Mainly because it would create a lot of dangerous situations for both reptiles. Also, they require different temperatures and different levels of humidity – in general turtles live in different environments. Besides that, they also have different diets, since snakes need to eat once a week, whereas turtles eat everyday.
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