~ Just wanted to share these pictures, not ours, these were taken from another source. A new keeper in Florida decided to leave his new hatchlings outside overnight and rats had eaten on them.
~ Just FYI
~ Just FYI
Shell damage from rats!
- Thread starter ALDABRAMAN
- Start date
Geeeze, are the rats that hungry? Is there no other food source that they have to resort to gnawing on hard tortoise shells? Is it because there is a lot of other “food” on the ground near these hatchlings... poor guys. Bad rats!
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~ I don't have any further details. The owner did take them to the vet, the one with the soft tissue exposed may need further........
I was a rat breeder for a few years and I can tell you they will chew on anything even with lots of food around. There teeth never stop growing so they need to chew some hard things to keep there teeth filed down. So sad they found these little guys.
Wow people really underestimate rats. Since I’ve been on this forum (6 months) this is probably about the 5th post where tortoises have literally been eaten alive by rats.
We lost 2 of our family pets, 2 Greek tortoises many years ago due to rats eating them during hibernation.
Guys, rats will kill your tortoise’s please don’t underestimate the damage they can do.
We lost 2 of our family pets, 2 Greek tortoises many years ago due to rats eating them during hibernation.
Guys, rats will kill your tortoise’s please don’t underestimate the damage they can do.
~ This is why i posted these pictures, simply awareness and exposure.
~ So true, however i am very happy the owner took them to the vet and is willing to spend the resources, etc. to get them better. Sadly, many of times people simply do not spend the money and move on, based on what we have seen.
Oh how awful! Does this only happen over night? I bring my tort inside just before dark and take him outside after sunrise. Could this ever happen during the day?
Boettgeri
Member
Hello
This is horrible. I am in a fb group about tortoises and I have seen many pictures of tortoises eaten by rats. They are really dangerous for tortoises but not only rats also others predators like dogs (I have seen many pictures of "accidents"even by a "nice dog" a dog keeps his instinct ) , foxes, ferrets, moles, eagles/birds etc....That's why we should protect their enclosure with a fence above and below (depeed enough underground). Mine are always outside in a protected enclosure and nothing happens to them. I also don't let the dog go out when they are not in their enclosure and I am always around them to keep an eye on them and avoid predators.
I hope this tortoises on the pictures will be fine.
This is horrible. I am in a fb group about tortoises and I have seen many pictures of tortoises eaten by rats. They are really dangerous for tortoises but not only rats also others predators like dogs (I have seen many pictures of "accidents"even by a "nice dog" a dog keeps his instinct ) , foxes, ferrets, moles, eagles/birds etc....That's why we should protect their enclosure with a fence above and below (depeed enough underground). Mine are always outside in a protected enclosure and nothing happens to them. I also don't let the dog go out when they are not in their enclosure and I am always around them to keep an eye on them and avoid predators.
I hope this tortoises on the pictures will be fine.
