FIVE THINGS ABOUT TORTOISES

1 THEY’RE HUNTERS THAT WILL KILL

In a blow to their public image, tortoises have been found to be hunters that will, given the opportunity, kill and eat other animals.

2 EVIDENCE CAUGHT ON CAMERA

The study was part of a conservation project on Fregate Island, a private island in the Seychelles. Anna Zora, of Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology, caught on camera the first direct evidence of a tortoise hunting when she stumbled across an adult female in pursuit of a bird chick that had fallen out of its nest and was standing on a log. The bird, a tern, was too young to fly.

3 MOUTH OPEN, TONGUE RETRACTED

A 1.5-foot female giant tortoise had seen the chick and made a beeline for it at walking pace. Approaching with its mouth open and tongue retracted, the tortoise was unrelenting, constantly trying to bite the chick.its jaws clamped around the head of the bird and killed it instantly. The tortoise picked up the carcass and swallowed it whole. The pursuit and killing took 92 seconds.

4 ‘ASTONISHING TO SEE’

Researcher Dr. Justin Gerlach said that, previously, there had only been anecdotal reports of tortoises crushing and eating other animals, but no hard evidence. “Eating other animals was not surprising, pretty much any herbivore will eat a bit of meat if it comes across it, it’s a bit of free extra protein, so eating carrion is expected. But actually killing was astonishing to see,” said Dr Gerlach.

5 ONE OF PLANET’S LEAST EFFICIENT PREDATORS

However, the tortoise’s lack of speed and dexterity mean they are still one of the least efficient predators on the planet because of their physical limitations. “In most ecosystems, potential prey would be too fast or agile for giant tortoises. For birds, only flightless chicks that will not attempt to run away would be vulnerable,” the researchers wrote.