Snakes and Tortoises

Okay, now that I know about outside temps for my hatchling Sulcata, Yertle, to play in, I am wondering about snakes. Here in SW AZ, we have rattlers, of course and I supervise Yertle when he is out, but what about when he is older? can he ever go out unsupervised? Can tortoises defend themselves against poisonous snakes? Thanks again!

I'm not sure about my answer, but I'm thinking that they live in harmony in the wild. Seems like the tortoise and snake might both inhabit a burrow to get out of the sun. I don't know what a cold-blooded tortoise looks like to a heat-seeing snake, but my guess is he doesn't come across as a warm-blooded mammal does.

Personally, I wouldn't take chances. I's so glad there are no rattlers where I live. I don't like snakes, period, but rattlers? Yipes!

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_sensing_in_snakes

So snakes see infrared thermal radiation. I don't know what a tortoise who has been sitting in the sun for hours appears like to the snake.

Thanks for that link, Yvonne! I'll look at it! I grew up in Oklahoma, so am used to rattlers and other poisonous snakes, but don't want one to get Yertle!

I found this link, it basically reiterates what Yvonne said, and it talks about desert tortoises: http://fieldherper.com/2011/01/31/roomies-desert-tortoises-and-rattlesnakes/

I live in tucson, az and I have found rattlers three different times this year sleeping with the tortoises in the burrows. I just call the fire dept and they are happy to remove and relocate them for me.

Rattlesnakes, for the most part, go after warm-blooded prey. Tortoises are not on their menu. No fear.

The only thing I would worry about if it is a hatchling. Snakes can and will eat hatchlings. But for the most part adult tortoise and snakes have a trade off . Tortoise you dig me a hole to hide in and I'll protect you from rats and other small rodents .

I can't say what is physically possible, but in all my years in the SW USA, I have never heard of one single case of any snake harming any tortoise. Mind you that my wife and I both deal with a lot of vets on a regular basis due to our jobs, and all of them know about my tortoise obsession. If a snake harming a tortoise were a real possibility, I think that I would have heard of at least one or two cases of this.

Re: RE: Snakes and Tortoises

Tom said:

I can't say what is physically possible, but in all my years in the SW USA, I have never heard of one single case of any snake harming any tortoise. Mind you that my wife and I both deal with a lot of vets on a regular basis due to our jobs, and all of them know about my tortoise obsession. If a snake harming a tortoise were a real possibility, I think that I would have heard of at least one or two cases of this.

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I have found water mocassins with small water turtles inside them . Have also found copper heads with box turtles inside them . Not everyone loves snakes as much as me . So my family loves to kill them . I have family that lives on lake Houston. They are some snake killing fools . You would be very surprised what you find in them . I have seen water snakes with cat fish fins hanging out the sides of them . Snake alive and well . A hatchling gopher tortoise I will say is on the menu . As far as an adult tortoise i don't think so . It would not surprise me if they were immune to the venom. Plus snakes will only bite when threatened or on the hunt for food .

Those are different kinds of snakes in a different part of the country with very different eating habits. Not was I was talking about, and not what the OP is talking about. Of course some snakes eat baby chelonians. I have no doubt the eastern indigos would swallow a baby turtle, but rattlesnakes in the South West do not. At least not that I have ever heard of, and I've been living in prime rattlesnake country for 20 years.

I would be very surprised to find out that an African species of tortoise is immune to the venom of a North American pit viper.