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Today, the number of turtles has declined sharply and is at a critical point. Sea turtles were exterminated by the thousands for turtle soup, and the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago were taken away by sailors as “Live canned food”.

In addition to humans, a large number of animals, birds and aquatic life feed on turtles in nature.

Who hunts sea turtles

Large fish, killer whales and sharks, especially tiger sharks, are considered the main enemies that feed on sea turtles.

The most vulnerable are baby reptiles and eggs, which are often laid by reptiles on beaches. Even well hidden deep in the sand, they become tasty prey for dogs and coyotes, which are notable for their good intelligence and ability to dig.

If the tiny cubs still managed to hatch, they will have to overcome the path full of dangers to the ocean. During such journeys, 90% of the babies are attacked by gulls and other coastal predators. Ghost crabs and raccoons also eat turtles, and foxes, dingoes and lizards love to eat eggs.

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The best friend of these reptiles is their shell. Its hard shell protects the turtles from predators when there is a real danger. In addition, sea turtles swim fast enough in their natural environment, which allows them to avoid dangerous situations. Only the leatherback turtle has a soft shell. However, due to their huge size and weight of several hundred kilograms, animals are less endangered than other species.

Enemies of the red-eared turtles

These reptiles have a large number of ill-wishers among the representatives of the fauna. Turtle enemies in the wild such as raccoons, alligators, opossums, foxes, and raptors often feast on this hunting trophy. Birds and predatory fish are the main threat to the younger generation. Birds peck out turtles by breaking their shells on rocks. Foxes act in the same way, pushing reptiles off ledges and throwing them up. To eat delicious meat, South American jaguars turn adult turtles on their backs and gnaw them out of their shells.

Ways to protect red-eared turtles

Given that red-eared turtles do not have teeth, they are not capable of biting. However, their jaw muscles are too developed, therefore, at the slightest threat, turtles defend themselves, rapidly clenching their jaws and biting the offender. Also, for self-defense, reptiles use strong and sharp claws, with which they can fatally scratch the enemy. But mostly, they just hide under their shell.

Who is afraid of the land turtle

Natural armor is not able to save reptiles from a huge number of enemies, the main of which is considered to be a person. People destroy turtles to enjoy the taste of their meat and eggs, to prepare multi-purpose medicines, original crafts and protective carapace totems.

In addition to humans, turtles eat a wide variety of animals in nature:

• badgers;
• lizards;
• lions;
• hyenas;
• snakes;
• mongooses;
• jackal;
• toxim;
• crows.

Sick and weakened tortoises become the prey of beetles and ants, which quickly gnaw on the soft tissues of the body.

How do tortoises defend themselves?

As you can see, the world around for a reptile is far from goodwill. Everyone is trying to harm a harmless animal. In land turtles, like in red-eared ones, the mouth is toothless. But that doesn’t mean they can’t take care of themselves. Thanks to the developed jaw with sharp inner edges, the animal can inflict quite a noticeable bite, and for some even fatal.

In addition, individuals of this species use their strong claws for self-defense, which some lovers of tender meat should be wary of. Especially dangerous is the impact of the hind legs, with which the turtle defends itself from enemies, sensing mortal danger.

Despite the considerable number of animals that crave the death of turtles, man is still their worst enemy.