Hawks!!!

[tortcaden]

I live in Fayetteville North Carolina and there are lots of Hawks! I have been afraid to leave my turtle in his outdoor enclosure without my supervision. He is an American box turtle. He tends to be happier outside but I can only bring him out for small increments. Does anyone think that it safe for me to leave him out.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Upload some pictures of your outdoor enclosure and you will get some ideas from folks. If you have 4 x 8 enclosures... you can cover with screen mesh or depending on the area with bird netting.

I’m not sure though that hawks there in NC consider adult box turtles as part of their normal food. Swooping in to grab a boxie - by a Red-Tail type hawk - I’m thinking is rare.

Good luck... upload some pix. I’m pretty sure @Tom has some pix of how he builds outdoor enclosures with screen covers.

Doing a few searches, for example on Red Tail Hawks... their normal food sources:

• Diet varies with location and season. Mammals such as voles, rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels often major prey; also eats many birds (up to size of pheasant) and reptiles, especially snakes. Sometimes eats bats, frogs, toads, insects, various other creatures; may feed on carrion.

 

[ColleenT]

My outdoor enclosure is fenced with Hardware cloth( metal mesh 1/2 inch). We also have a screen door on it. Nothing can get in except insects. There are plenty of predators for boxies. Like Raccoons, Squirrels, Birds of prey, Dogs...

 

[Blackdog1714]

I would be much more worried about raccoons and opossums than hawks even after a Cooper's Hawk got a chicken of mine

 

[Tom]

Red tail hawks are definitely opportunistic and will eat just about anything. I'm on my fourth year of flying them and I fly them over my tortoises almost daily. We also have a wild pair that own my little valley and nest within a stone's throw of where my hawk mew sits. They scream at us every single time I put my bird up, but my presence and the dogs presence, seem to keep them at bay. My area is also full of Cooper's hawks. I have one little wild Cooper's hawk that has been hanging around during my training flights with my new bird, Tacoma. Not sure what it wants or hopes to gain, but it is very interested. Tacoma ignores it.

In all this time, and in all my years of housing tortoises out here, I had one wild hawk land on a baby enclosure that was covered in welded wire, and then promptly fly way never to return. I've seen Cooper's hawks perched and watching small tortoises, but none has ever made a move on them. My own hawk landed next to one of my SA leopard males one time, cocked its head, and promptly flew back up to the top of its telephone pole to wait for my next command and food tid bit.

I've never known a hawk to mess with any larger chelonians. My best guess is that an adult sized box turtle would be safe. There are definitely regional differences in how hawks behave and what they will eat, so a welded wire cover is never a bad idea if you can make it happen. I agree that raccoons are a much greater threat, as are domestic dogs. Whatever you do during the day time, always lock up your turtle at night.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Not long ago, a saw a large, predator bird flying with a wiggling medium sized aquatic turtle in its talons.
It is something to consider.
But as has already been mentioned, raccoons has been the biggest issue of mine.

 

[tortcaden]

I would be much more worried about raccoons and opossums than hawks even after a Cooper's Hawk got a chicken of mine

We don’t have raccoons near me

 

[Tom]

We don’t have raccoons near me

You may not know it, but yes, you do.

 

[ColleenT]

Raccoons are EVERYWHERE in the USA. Same as there are coyotes EVERYWHERE in the USA.

 

[Danielthereptilekeeper]

Most hawks prey on small rodents and other birds. I think raccoons are more of the threat. I keep my box turtle outside. I see many hawks here in NC, but I have had no trouble keeping him outside.

 

[Danielthereptilekeeper]

We don’t have raccoons near me

They live just about everywhere. You never see them because they are nocturnal and secretive. The only time I saw one was a 2:00 am in a field.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

We don’t have raccoons near me

I wouldn't assume where raccoons are concerned. To be on the safe side, I'd go with the heavy-duty hardware cloth / mesh. Then the question is whether to make it tall enough for you to go in there with your turtle.