# Will snakes attack my tortoise?



## Yuukari (May 31, 2015)

We have snakes in the neighborhood, rattlesnakes, king sankes, gopher snakes, should I be concerned about them getting my Russian tortoise?


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## Yvonne G (May 31, 2015)

I know absolutely VERY LITTLE about snakes, but I THINK they see heat. So, unless your little tortoise glows from radiant heat I doubt a snake would be interested. I may be wrong. Wait for a snake person to answer you.


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## Killerrookie (May 31, 2015)

If your tortoise is bigger than him than the snake won't bother to try.


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## dmmj (May 31, 2015)

Snakes in the wild, have been found with tortoise shells in their gut. An article in reptiles magazine about 15 years or so ago told of a snake in africa with 3 leopard tortoise shells in it. It is extremely rare for a snake to do so, they don't really register with heat I believe, I would not worry about snakes eating your tortoise.


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## Tom (May 31, 2015)

Some snakes eat very specific prey. Other snakes are generalists that will eat anything that they can swallow. If you have an adult russian, the only snake (of the ones you mentioned...) big enough to eat it would an extremely unusually large gopher snake, but this is very unlikely.


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## ALDABRAMAN (May 31, 2015)

Indigo and Coachwhip snakes feed on baby tortoises!


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## ZEROPILOT (May 31, 2015)

I'm not sure of the posters location. My only concern would be for a tortoise to be bitten while crashing into a burrow that holds a rattlesnake.
But I am familiar with stories about Florida Gopher tortoises living in harmony with rattlesnakes.


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## ALDABRAMAN (May 31, 2015)

ZEROPILOT said:


> But I am familiar with stories about Florida Gopher tortoises living in harmony with rattlesnakes.



~ I can definitively say that we have several species of snakes in our area, mostly black and rat snakes and have never seen any attempts to eat a baby tortoise. I have seen them actually basking within close proximity and even the snakes slither over them without any issues!


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## Yuukari (May 31, 2015)

She's the largest Russian I have seen, 10" long. At least 30 years old according to the vet. She has her own enclosure. I'm in Riverside, ca. Just want to make sure she is safe. Thank you.


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## Tidgy's Dad (May 31, 2015)

Probably, fine.
It would take a pretty big snake to try eating a Russian of that size, dislocating jaw or no.
Unless an anaconda or something escapes in your area, I reckon tortie is safe.


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## Tan (Aug 5, 2017)

Here's a video of a tort taking the food away from an adult rattle snake. Torts do get along with snakes.


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## William Lee Kohler (Aug 6, 2017)

Box Turtle actually but gotta feel sorry for the rattle snake.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 6, 2017)

Why ?
The snake got his dinner.
The poor boxie got rolled away with a big stick.


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## westernstar (Sep 8, 2022)

For the past few nights, I've spotted a Garter Snake sleeping inside of my tort's den. I think the snake like the heating pad and Panzer doesn't seem to mind. I just have to remind myself to look before sticking my hands randomly into his den, lol


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## Tom (Sep 8, 2022)

westernstar said:


> For the past few nights, I've spotted a Garter Snake sleeping inside of my tort's den. I think the snake like the heating pad and Panzer doesn't seem to mind. I just have to remind myself to look before sticking my hands randomly into his den, lol


You are running a heat pad for a tortoise in Phoenix AZ right now? Why?


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## OliveW (Sep 8, 2022)

Yuukari said:


> We have snakes in the neighborhood, rattlesnakes, king sankes, gopher snakes, should I be concerned about them getting my Russian tortoise?



Gopher tortoises around here share their burrows with everyone, including snakes. We have some very large rattlers here as well. 

"The gopher tortoise is especially important because the burrows, which are dug by the tortoises, also provide homes for other animals, such as *indigo snakes, gopher frogs, mice, foxes, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, burrowing owls, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and other invertebrates*, gopher tortoise ..."


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## westernstar (Sep 9, 2022)

Tom said:


> You are running a heat pad for a tortoise in Phoenix AZ right now? Why?


That is a great question! I spend half the year in Flagstaff, where I'm at right now. It gets chilly at night even in the summer.


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