The giant Aldabra tortoise, once considered a herbivore, was first photographed chasing its chicks, then dropping them and eating them..
Scientists say reptiles in the Seychelles are the first known example of an herbivore hunting another animal in the wild. – Books the online version of the Guardian newspaper.
Recorded July 2020 on a member of the archipelago called Fregate. You can see it as a giant tortoise that slowly follows a small brown gesture, slapping it until you can finally put the bird’s head between its jaws.
This behavior was completely unexpected, and never before seen by giant land turtles, said Justin Gerlach, a scientist at the University of Cambridge’s Zoological Museum, lead author of the study. Previously, all turtles were herbivores, although it was sometimes observed that they eat animal carcasses, bones or snail shells due to their calcium content.
In most places, potential prey animals escape too quickly or so skillfully that the giant tortoise can’t catch them. However, scientists say that the movement of the turtle on the photo shows that such an interaction often occurs there.
From the shot it becomes clear that the turtle eats the chick with pleasure, although in comparison with how easy it is to eat the plant, it causes him a lot of trouble.
– The specialist added.