Hawk protection

[Lewmanauti]

I have a 6 year old sulcata and he is now outside full time and loving it. His enclosure is still in building process (needs chicken wire above etc.) I live in a suburban neighborhood and his enclosure is built going under the lip of our house and has his den. Most of his enclosure is In the sunlight though. I have a few large rocks I’m there as well and a table top type of Ramp with textured tiles as the floor for his nails and beak when he eats on it. A large hawk lives near by as I see him fly around in the distance. He has not been in my backyard as I know of. I was wondering what The risk of him getting swooped by a the hawk is (very very large hawk.) he is canoflouged pretty well and is so close to the house I was wondering if the hawk would even attempt if he did happen to see him. This is just temporary as I check on him every few minutes but it still worries me.

 

[jeneliza]

Still good to watch out for these birds, there all for an easy meal, but most don't like to be close to homes etc, but a meal is a meal, is there any to cover it with wire fencing?

 

[LasTortugasNinja]

Hawks usually won't mess with a large sulcata. Golden eagles will. Easy add to your yard: Find a ceramic statue of a sitting dog like a german shepherd or large Labrador. Place that in the open in the back yard, and the hawk won't go near your yard.

Learned that from people who had several chickens stolen by hawks.

 

[Blastoise]

I think the risk is pretty high if it's a golden eagle. In the mountainous regions of northern Greece young golden eagles are reared on a diet almost exclusively of tortoises.

 

[ROBROY MACINNES]

I watched a Redtail Hawk take a 6 inch Burmese mountain tortoise out of a pen in my yard. I chased him from tree to tree trying to get him to drop the tortoise which he did in a heavily wooded area. I was pretty sure the tortoise was already dead as I saw the hawk ripping at it and the tortoises legs were hanging limp. I could not find the body. I raise them in covered pens to a larger size now. I have dogs but they're often inside when its hot so I will try the fake dog idea.

 

[Tom]

A 6 year old sulcata is usually in the neighborhood of 40-50 pounds. No hawk or eagle is going to bother that.

The local hawk can see your tortoise. That camo does nothing from that point of view.

 

[Ink]

I had a circle of vultures swooping to get my 13 year old leopard tortoise. It was crazy. I was outside with him and stood over him however they were still hovering. It was frightening. I took him inside

 

[Maggie3fan]

I had a circle of vultures swooping to get my 13 year old leopard tortoise. It was crazy. I was outside with him and stood over him however they were still hovering. It was frightening. I took him inside

Vultures only eat carrion. So they normally won't bother tortoises. We have Turkey Vultures here, lots of them, they glide over my yard, about a 12 foot wingspan but my torts are alive, so I don't worry about Vultures but they are pretty impressive

 

[Tom]

I had a circle of vultures swooping to get my 13 year old leopard tortoise. It was crazy. I was outside with him and stood over him however they were still hovering. It was frightening. I took him inside

Maggie is right. They want nothing to do with your tortoise. They were riding a thermal and the thermal took them over your house.

 

[Ink]

That is good to know. Still scary. Thanks