# Clifford Ate A Bird!!!!



## tortoisestew (May 6, 2012)

I just caught Clifford my Sulcata eating a bird. He was plowing through the bushes and came out and I saw that he had something in his mouth, but I thought it was a flower. I heard crunching and went to see and saw that he was eating a red cardinal fledgling. Anybody ever heard of a tortoise eating a bird. I have video. How do I post a video so you guys could see? I'm speechless!


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## sportychick (May 6, 2012)

Only way I know is how I did which was on photobucket.com


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## Kristina (May 6, 2012)

Tortoises are opportunistic feeders. While it is best to not feed a lot of animal protein to most tortoises, particularly grazing tortoises, they have been known to eat birds, amphibians, smaller reptiles and rodents.


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## dmmj (May 6, 2012)

Yep they eat usually what ever they can get their mouths on, there is a story on here of a sulcata that ate gophers, and aldabs that also ate birds. While it is true you would not want to make it a part of his diet, if he eats it, it should not cause any harm, just post a sign that says "WARNING bird eating tortoise on premises"


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## tyrs4u (May 6, 2012)

Photobucket is best, then there is always facebook & youtube assigned to your email? As terrifying as it sounds, I still want to see it because it could happen to me soon. & I need to be prepared *shrug*... 
I'd be like; 
honey where'd the bird bath go? 
Oh you see 'Boulder' over there? 
Ya?
What? Do you think he grew Feathers over night? lol...


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## GeoTerraTestudo (May 6, 2012)

Cool! The muscles are a good source of protein, and the bones a good source of calcium. Wouldn't want it to be a regular part of his diet, but occasional carrion is good for him.


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## Neal (May 6, 2012)

I wish I had a bird eating tortoise...there's a mocking bird around here that thinks it's OK to sing his songs at 2am.


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## dmmj (May 6, 2012)

I would imagine it would solve a lot of problems for a lot of people.


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## Baoh (May 6, 2012)

My Mep has caught and eaten a sparrow before. Hawks tend to bring their kills to my fence for disassembly, during which my sulcatas gather beneath and eat any parts that fall below. I have to check for bunny nests, too, or the babies are done if my larger tortoises get to them first. My hatchlings and juveniles seem to enjoy running down isopods and other appropriately sized arthropods. Especially my leopards (for whatever reason).


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## dmmj (May 6, 2012)

My sulcata little tank always tries to eat the pill bugs when ever I move rocks or whatnot around in his pen.


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## GeoTerraTestudo (May 6, 2012)

^^Good examples. People think of tortoises as herbivores, but some species are more herbivorous than others. What's more, ungulate mammals are more specialized for herbivory than tortoises, and even they may eat meat every once in a while.

Here's a deer eating a bird:
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQOQdBLHrLk[/video]

Here's a hippo scavenging a carcass:
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp-0BtK1zIk[/video]

In the wild, sulcatas may come across bonanzas of carrion, which they may also take advantage of. Again, as long as their diet consists primarily of nutrient-rich vegetation, the occasional meat can be good for them.


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## tortoisestew (May 6, 2012)

*Video of Clifford eating a bird*

Here's the link to the video. Hope it works. Let me know if it don't.

http://s1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc363/tortoisestew/?action=view&current=IMG_0101.mp4

Most of the bird was already gone by the time I got back with my phone. Only the head is sticking out of his mouth.


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## tortoisestew (May 6, 2012)

I've seen the deer video before. Just never thought I'd ever see my tortoise eat a bird. Just crazy!


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## tyrs4u (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*

lmao... Didn't censor yourself eh? ;-)


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## tortoisestew (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*

LMAO! Ooops sorry people forgot there's some colorful language at the end.


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## sportychick (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*

 OK so we can not just put a smiley face any.more lol.. I got an error had to have message 5 characters or.more


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## GeoTerraTestudo (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*

Pretty sweet.


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## bigred (May 6, 2012)

Watched my moms Sulcata swallow a lizard and also try to eat a big Rat. The rat was to big


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## Tom (May 6, 2012)

Neal said:


> I wish I had a bird eating tortoise...there's a mocking bird around here that thinks it's OK to sing his songs at 2am.



I think he's mocking you...


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## Oogway (May 6, 2012)

please post the video on youtube or something  would love to see


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## Tom (May 6, 2012)

Pretty normal. My buddy Dave is the one who told me about his sulcata that hunted and ate the gophers. I have seen video of wild Galops "hunting"' or rather "ambush squashing" Darwin's finches and eating them. Bert Langerwerf would use a band saw to cut up frozen turkeys and chickens to feed his tegus. Then he'd throw the leftover parts and bones in with his sulcatas. They ate it all up with no I'll effect. In my "Crying Tortoise" book it says that a lot of animals crawl into the sulcata burrows and die during the hot dry season and the sulcatas feast upon the carcasses.

So you've got a normal tortoise there. Nothing to worry about. Might want to do a fecal check every once in a while, but most bird parasites won't be able to survive in a reptile anyway.


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## Baoh (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the video.


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## wellington (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*



tortoisestew said:


> LMAO! Ooops sorry people forgot there's some colorful language at the end.



LOL , that's why I hate video cameras around me.


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## LeaderLeprechaun (May 6, 2012)

LOL omg that was too funny xD


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## ALDABRAMAN (May 6, 2012)

*RE: Video of Clifford eating a bird*



tyrs4u said:


> lmao... Didn't censor yourself eh? ;-)


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## acrantophis (May 6, 2012)

Great looking sulcata! I'm sure they munch on dead carcasses, bone and antler in their homelands for extra calcium and protein.


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## chase thorn (May 6, 2012)

Im sorry but is it wrong for me to laugh??? hahahaha and the deer video... I cried when the lady was like "it ate the bird!"

This is so crazy!

not a tortoise but look at this turtle eating a pigeon! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8rU-bLYM7Y&feature=related


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## Tccarolina (May 6, 2012)

Neal said:


> I wish I had a bird eating tortoise...there's a mocking bird around here that thinks it's OK to sing his songs at 2am.



This brings back memories!
When I was growing up, there was a mockingbird that would decide to sing in the tree outside my upstairs bedroom window. I'd go to bed, fall asleep, then all of a sudden he'd start his repertioure.


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## Arizona Sulcata (May 6, 2012)

Though I think we can all agree that's not good for a tortoise... What a great story!!


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## Oogway (May 7, 2012)

hands down funniest thread i've ever read on the entire internet


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## GeoTerraTestudo (May 7, 2012)

chase thorn said:


> not a tortoise but look at this turtle eating a pigeon!
> 
> [video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8rU-bLYM7Y&feature=related[/video]



Yeah, I love this clip, too. Just a little pond turtle, but it opportunistically preys on pigeons as large as itself. Fascinating. 






Arizona Sulcata said:


> Though I think we can all agree that's not good for a tortoise... What a great story!!



That's just it. I think the occasional prey item or carrion is good for a tortoise. As a regular part of their diet, it would be too low in fiber and too rich in protein, and so could cause gastrointestinal upset and problems with shell development (although the calcium in the bones would be good for the tortoise's skeleton, including the shell). But opportunistically, it is good for a tortoise to get these nutrients into its system.


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