The animal kingdom is founded on apex predators eating other animals who are lower down on the food chain. Take foxes, for example.
These medium-sized mammals are much more cunning than their fluffy fur and bushy tails may lead you to give them credit for.
Some animals are pickier than others when it comes to their dinner, however, so it’s not always easy to guess whether one type of animal is likely to eat another.
Turtles fit the description of a perfect target due to their small size, slow walk, and a lack of fighting power.
In a fight to the death (literally, as depending on the outcome, it could be turtle for dinner), would a fox win over a turtle? Do foxes even eat turtles? That’s what we’re here to answer.
How Does a Shell Help to Protect Turtles?
If a turtle is going to survive a predator attack, it’s probably going to be because of its shell.
A turtle’s shell consists of a unique bony structure that differentiates the turtle from other shell-carrying animals, such as hermit crabs who are able to shed their shells and switch as and when they stumble across a new one in their path.
A turtle’s shell is fixed to their lower ribcage and spine so they’re stuck with their shell for life. At least they’ll never lose it!
Having a shell helps to protect the animal as it provides a tough, durable exterior that predators would struggle to break, even with teeth designed to help them hunt their prey.
If they are under attack, a turtle can retract its arms and legs to protect the otherwise exposed soft flesh, as these parts of its body won’t stand up as well to a predator’s bites.
What do Foxes Eat?
It might be easier to ask; what don’t foxes eat?
They have a pretty varied diet that can include anything from bugs, insects, fruit and vegetables, or types of both domestic and wild birds and small mammals.
Rogue pigeons and small birds that frequent your garden are all at risk if there’s a local fox about your neighborhood, as are the field voles that tend to inhabit allotment gardens.
Foxes will also eat various types of human food, including scraps – if you’ve ever put the bins out overnight and wake up to see trash strewn about the streets then it’s likely that a fox was having a rummage through your bins looking for a midnight snack.
Do Foxes Eat Turtles?
They’re not necessarily a go-to choice for most foxes, but if their paths were to cross, it’s likely that a fox would have no problem eating a turtle and they have been known to do so.
Foxes will also eat turtle eggs and hatchlings if they come across a turtle nest that has been left unattended by the parent, who will find the nest empty when they return to it.
How Do Foxes Hunt Turtles?
Foxes have an excellent set of skills and a strong sense of cunning that makes them excellent hunters, able to stalk and catch a number of different types of live prey.
They can hunt during all hours but usually prefer to do most of it at dawn or dusk. Foxes utilize their superior hearing skills to listen out for and identify their prey, and they have a practiced pounce move that allows them to catch and kill their prey efficiently.
As well as eating the flesh of a turtle should they get the chance, foxes are as talented at scavenging as they are at hunting.
It is not uncommon for foxes to sniff out the location of a turtle nest and they will eat any eggs and hatchlings that they find waiting there for them.
What Animals Eat Turtles?
Unfortunately for turtles everywhere, there are quite a few different types of animals who will happily chow down on some fresh turtle flesh if given the opportunity.
Like foxes, coyotes, and some large to medium-sized domestic dogs have been known to kill turtles, but they will not always eat them.
Sometimes, especially with domestic dogs, the larger animal may have just been playing with a turtle, accidentally injuring it in the process.
The same can be said for some domestic cats, although this is less common.
Other animals that will eat turtles include opossums, weasels, skunks, and ferrets, who will attack the exposed parts of the turtle if it doesn’t manage to tuck its limbs inside its shell quick enough.
When it comes to the water, the turtle’s biggest concerns should be crocodiles, alligators, and great white sharks, depending on the location, as these animals all eat turtles.
The skies aren’t safe either, as some birds will swoop down and snatch turtles so they can break their shells over nearby rocks so they can get to what’s inside.
