Sulcata ate a baby rabbit!!

Lesley Pommarane

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I’m more than disturbed, it appears that Rocky ate a baby rabbit! Rocky is a rescue who lived in a chicken coop. He is about 8 yrs old. We’ve had him approx 2 yrs. He lives in our back yard, outside most is the time unless it gets below 60ish. We live in SW Florida. I went to feed him & saw something sticking out of his mouth. Looking closer, I saw 2 feet with fur on them! I believe it was a baby rabbit as I moved a wooden ramp we have in the backyard & there was a very little baby rabbit under it. He could walk & hop, but pretty slowly as I think he was very young. I put the ramp back over the baby & left him as is. I checked a few hours later & the baby is still there. Had anyone heard of a Sulcata eating a rabbit?? I don’t know if the rabbit was dead or alive when Rocky ate him. It’s a sight that I wished I could un-see. Very disturbing!
 

Lesley Pommarane

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Oportunisic feeders. They'll eat anything alive, dead or not edible!
Wow, I didn’t know that. We’ve had him for 2-3 yrs & also have a female that my son bought when she was a few months old. We had to separate the 2 a year or so ago as he was getting very aggressive towards the female. Now they’re each on their own side of the yard. We were grilling hot dogs at our fire pit one night & one fell on the ground, Rocky went over & bit it, we laughed, he spit it right out. They are funny animals. Thanks for the info!!
 

Lesley Pommarane

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Agree with Yvonne. A lot of torts will if they can.
Thanks Wellington, I didn’t know that about them. I do know that if I don’t clean up my 2 Bouvier des Flanders poop (which is big) Rocky will definitely eat that! But never thought he could eat, or kill & eat, another animal.
I was out hiking in the woodlands of Pennsylvania and came across an Eastern Box Turtle that was eating/sitting on an old dead & decaying rabbit. Opportunistic for sure.
 

Tom

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I’m more than disturbed, it appears that Rocky ate a baby rabbit! Rocky is a rescue who lived in a chicken coop. He is about 8 yrs old. We’ve had him approx 2 yrs. He lives in our back yard, outside most is the time unless it gets below 60ish. We live in SW Florida. I went to feed him & saw something sticking out of his mouth. Looking closer, I saw 2 feet with fur on them! I believe it was a baby rabbit as I moved a wooden ramp we have in the backyard & there was a very little baby rabbit under it. He could walk & hop, but pretty slowly as I think he was very young. I put the ramp back over the baby & left him as is. I checked a few hours later & the baby is still there. Had anyone heard of a Sulcata eating a rabbit?? I don’t know if the rabbit was dead or alive when Rocky ate him. It’s a sight that I wished I could un-see. Very disturbing!
This is the first time of heard of a rabbit, but I know of one in Ojai that would literally hunt and catch gophers and then eat them alive. I offered mine a gopher and a thawed rat once, and they showed no interest. I was just curious.

Bert Langerwurf "The Lizard King" would cut up frozen turkeys to feed to his tegus, and he'd throw the scraps and bones to the sulcatas.

I've read that in the wild, dying animals will enter sulcata burrows to escape the terrible heat topside, and the tortoises chow down on the dead bodies. "The Crying Tortoise" was the source.

I've seen footage of Galapagos tortoises in the wild smashing little finches at the watering hole and eating them. They stand still and tall at the water's edge and the little finches get under them in the shade to get a drink, and then BAM! They drop down and smash the little birdies, back up and eat them, and then resume the standing and waiting position. I couldn't believe it.
 

Lesley Pommarane

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Thanks Wellington, I didn’t know that about them. I do know that if I don’t clean up my 2 Bouvier des Flanders poop (which is big) Rocky will definitely eat that! But never thought he could eat, or kill & eat,
I was out hiking in the woodlands of Pennsylvania and came across an Eastern Box Turtle that was eating/sitting on an old dead & decaying rabbit. Opportunistic for sure.
Thanks Maro2Bear. Isn’t that crazy!! I thought they were totally vegetarians! I guess they think they have eat when they can & whatever they can.
 

Jacqui

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I saw one eating a snake on a video.

I know one day, I had a small stray kitten follow me into a sulcata enclosure. When the sulcata saw it, the tortoise was like a heat seeking missile. I barely got to the kitten first and to this day, I swear that tortoise was planning on a meal of kitten.
 

Tom

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Not long ago. I came across a story that seemed to be proof of a Sulcata trapping, smashing and eating birds.
Nature......
It's rough out there!
This reminded me! Not long ago, we had a video posted here on the forum of an Aldabra chasing after a bird and trying to catch and eat it.

WARNING: Don't click the video if you don't want to see a little birdie get eaten.

 

Lesley Pommarane

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This is the first time of heard of a rabbit, but I know of one in Ojai that would literally hunt and catch gophers and then eat them alive. I offered mine a gopher and a thawed rat once, and they showed no interest. I was just curious.

Bert Langerwurf "The Lizard King" would cut up frozen turkeys to feed to his tegus, and he'd throw the scraps and bones to the sulcatas.

I've read that in the wild, dying animals will enter sulcata burrows to escape the terrible heat topside, and the tortoises chow down on the dead bodies. "The Crying Tortoise" was the source.

I've seen footage of Galapagos tortoises in the wild smashing little finches at the watering hole and eating them. They stand still and tall at the water's edge and the little finches get under them in the shade to get a drink, and then BAM! They drop down and smash the little birdies, back up and eat them, and then resume the standing and waiting position. I couldn't believe it.
Wow, that’s crazy!! I guess they are opportunists and will eat most anything. I was just shocked to see the 2 little furry legs sticking out of his mouth!!
Not long ago. I came across a story that seemed to be proof of a Sulcata trapping, smashing and eating birds.
Nature......
It's rough out there!
I guess when they’re hungry they’ll eat just about anything, it appears!
 

Obbie

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I’m more than disturbed, it appears that Rocky ate a baby rabbit! Rocky is a rescue who lived in a chicken coop. He is about 8 yrs old. We’ve had him approx 2 yrs. He lives in our back yard, outside most is the time unless it gets below 60ish. We live in SW Florida. I went to feed him & saw something sticking out of his mouth. Looking closer, I saw 2 feet with fur on them! I believe it was a baby rabbit as I moved a wooden ramp we have in the backyard & there was a very little baby rabbit under it. He could walk & hop, but pretty slowly as I think he was very young. I put the ramp back over the baby & left him as is. I checked a few hours later & the baby is still there. Had anyone heard of a Sulcata eating a rabbit?? I don’t know if the rabbit was dead or alive when Rocky ate him. It’s a sight that I wished I could un-see. Very disturbing!
Lesley, I know how you feel ! Definitely not as disturbing as your ordeal, but I sent an article about Sulcatta eating, tracking and running down, and eating a baby tern (bird) ! My Mali 🇲🇱 is around 10 years old (rescue) and 65 pounds. Love this girl, I just can’t imagine this happening, but….nature

This is the first time of heard of a rabbit, but I know of one in Ojai that would literally hunt and catch gophers and then eat them alive. I offered mine a gopher and a thawed rat once, and they showed no interest. I was just curious.

Bert Langerwurf "The Lizard King" would cut up frozen turkeys to feed to his tegus, and he'd throw the scraps and bones to the sulcatas.

I've read that in the wild, dying animals will enter sulcata burrows to escape the terrible heat topside, and the tortoises chow down on the dead bodies. "The Crying Tortoise" was the source.

I've seen footage of Galapagos tortoises in the wild smashing little finches at the watering hole and eating them. They stand still and tall at the water's edge and the little finches get under them in the shade to get a drink, and then BAM! They drop down and smash the little birdies, back up and eat them, and then resume the standing and waiting position. I couldn't believe it.
 

grizzclan

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This reminded me! Not long ago, we had a video posted here on the forum of an Aldabra chasing after a bird and trying to catch and eat it.

WARNING: Don't click the video if you don't want to see a little birdie get eaten.

Wow that is absolutely fascinating thank you for sharing I learned something new today!!
 

MenagerieGrl

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Um, ya, I was only able to watch less than half of that video, before I had to shut it off....(as a Birder) I'd rather NOT try to imagine the outcome...poor baby fledgling....
 

MarginatedMooney

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We had our little marginated tortoise outside a few days ago and he was digging around. I didn't think anything of it until he lifted his head up and had an earthworm hanging out of his mouth. I was a little wigged out at first but I figured they are opportunistic feeders. Thankfully he's not big enough to eat a baby rabbit or bird. 😬
 

Maggie3fan

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Before I moved to Oregon I lived in California...sitting out in the yard watching a Desert Tortoise stalk, kill, and eat a bluebelly lizard
 
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