In general, Sulcata tortoises are very docile and peaceful creatures, so you wouldn’t expect to see one of them trying to bite you. But like every animal, tortoises must have some way to defend themselves when they are in danger, and biting is a very efficient way to do so.
Sulcata tortoises bite as a way to defend themselves from humans and animals. Pet tortoises can bite their owners if they are scared due to rough handling, or simply by mistake. But overall, Sulcata tortoises very rarely bite people.
So, Sulcata tortoises do bite, but they are generally peaceful creatures, and when it comes to a conflict they would rather prefer to hide in their shells than be aggressive and bite. So in this article, we are going to have a look at what can make such a docile creature want to bite. But before that, I will answer a question that most people are probably wondering.
Do Sulcata Tortoises Bite Humans?
Yes, Sulcata tortoises can bite humans, but this is not typical behavior.
Sulcata Tortoises will very rarely bite a human, so if you were thinking of getting a Sulcata tortoise, and you were afraid that you might end up bitten by it, you can rest assured that this most likely won’t happen.
For this article I actually let my tortoise bite me so that I can tell you exactly how bad it is, But before I tell you that, let’s have a look at why tortoises bite, and why the chances of getting bitten by your own pet tortoise are extremely small.
Why Do Sulcata Tortoises Bite?
There are three reasons why a Sulcata tortoise will bite:
- Self-defense
- Establishing Dominance
- By Mistake
Now let’s take a closer look at each reason.
Self-defense
When I say that a tortoise will bite you in the name of self-defense, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to harm the tortoise.
As you probably know tortoises are scared very easily, so while you might just want to pick the tortoise up and move it somewhere, the tortoise doesn’t know that, and it will think that you are attacking it. This applies to pet tortoises as well as wild tortoises.
One of the most common reasons why tortoise owners end up bitten by their tortoises is rough handling.
Tortoises don’t usually resort to biting, they only do so as a last option, at first they will simply hide in their shells. So if you gently pick up your tortoise, it will most likely just hide in its shell, if it’s scared. But if you start squeezing the shell too much, or you make sudden movements, the tortoise will think that you are trying to break its shell, and will try to bite before that happens.
Establishing Dominance
This happens exclusively between tortoises, you won’t ever see a tortoise trying to establish its dominance over a human.
All tortoises like to live alone, they don’t enjoy the company of other tortoises, and when they meet other tortoises in the wild, they simply ignore them, but this is not always the case.
During the mating season, male tortoises have to compete for the females, and things can get pretty aggressive. The most common thing that you will see happening during this time are bites, but headbutts are also very common and in extreme cases, you can even see a tortoise flipping over other tortoises. After the mating period is over, tortoises will be back to ignoring each other.
If you have two pet Sulcata tortoises in a small enclosure, you should expect to see some biting between them as well. When multiple tortoises are held in captivity, they tend to become territorial and will want to establish dominance over each other. This is why I wouldn’t recommend getting more than one tortoise unless you have a lot of space for them.
By Mistake
The last reason why your Sulcata tortoise might bite is by mistake. And despite sounding like a silly reason, it’s actually more common than you might think.
To put it mildly, tortoises really like to eat, and when they see something that they like they will bite it immediately, they won’t ask themselves if there is a finger behind that lettuce leaf.
Similar accidents can happen in a lot of ways, but in most cases, tortoises realize that they are biting you, and not just a leaf, and they will let go immediately. And the reason I know this is simple, this is the method I used to make my tortoise bite me, to tell you how bad the bite is.
How Bad do Tortoise Bites Hurt? (I Let My Tortoise Bite Me)
Sulcata tortoises are quite big compared to other tortoises, and as a result they have a more powerful bite. Over the years I’ve taken care of a few Sulcata tortoises, but I’ve been careful enough not to get bitten, and to be honest I wouldn’t like to try it since it looks like it can hurt a lot. But I am willing to get bitten by other tortoises that are smaller.
I own a female Hermann tortoise and one male Box turtle, (even if the box turtle is called a turtle, it’s actually a tortoise). The Hermann tortoise is 6.5 inches and the box turtle is 6 inches, and both of them are herbivores.
For this test, I covered my finger with a lettuce leaf and simply put it in front of my tortoises.
First was the Hermann tortoise. The pain I felt was not the worst thing I felt, but not something to just brush off instantly. The closest thing with which I can compare it is the pain that you feel when you catch your finger in a drawer. After a couple of hours, I almost forgot that I was bitten.
In the case of the Box turtle, things were a little bit different. Not to stray too far from the example I just used, I would say that it felt like somebody slammed a drawer on my finger. And I need a little more than two hours to completely recover.
The reason for the big difference is simple. Box turtles eat meat, while Hermann tortoises don’t. As a result, Box turtles have a much sharper beak, which is needed to break off pieces of meat.
And in case you didn’t know, turtles don’t have teeth, they have beaks. Here is a close-up picture.
If you want to know more about turtle beaks, and how they use them, you can check out this article: Do Turtles Have Teeth? (with Pictures and Video).
I wouldn’t recommend you to do the same experiment that I just did. Tortoise bites can be very dangerous. I know my tortoises from when they were babies, and this was not the first time they bit me by mistake, so I knew that they would release the bite immediately. But this is not the case with all tortoises. And even if the tortoise releases the bite immediately, you still have to take some safety measures.
What to Do if You Are Bitten by a Sulcata Tortoise
Depending on the severity of the bite, there are different things that you have to do.
If we are talking about a small, mostly harmless bite that left no visible sign on the skin, then simply washing your hands with soap should be enough.
If the bite is more serious, and you see blood or any kind of visible wound, you should wash your hands immediately and go to the doctor. Tortoises, pets or not, can carry a lot of harmful bacteria. So it’s best to be seen by a doctor.
The worst-case scenario is when the tortoise doesn’t want to let go, this usually happens if the tortoise is really terrified and believes that if it lets go, you will attack it. The best thing that you can do in this situation is nothing. Even if you feel the urge to try and remove the turtle, this will only do more harm, and the tortoise will be more determined to keep biting you. It won’t take long for the tortoise to calm down and release the bite on its own. I know this is very counterintuitive, but it’s the best approach.
Final Thoughts
So, Sulcata tortoises do bite, but they never bite humans unless they feel threatened. And very rarely by mistake, but in those situations, they will release the bite as soon as they realize it.
When it comes to other tortoises, they rarely tend to be aggressive, let alone bite. The only time when they will do so is during the mating season.
As for how powerful the bite is, I would have to say that it’s surprisingly strong for such a small creature, but overall I would say that it is just as bad as getting your finger caught in a drawer, not the worst pain in the world, but definitely not pleasant.
If you ever get bitten by a tortoise, you should wash that area as soon as possible. And if you see blood or there are any visible cuts or any other kind of sign on the skin, you should go to the doctor.
In the end, here are a few common questions that people usually ask related to this subject. And if you have a question of your own, regarding turtles or tortoises don’t hesitate to leave it in the comment section, I will answer it as soon as possible.
Related Questions
Do tortoises have teeth? No, tortoises don’t have teeth, they have beaks.
Are tortoises dangerous? No, in general tortoises are very peaceful, they only attack if they are provoked, and very rarely by mistake. Tortoises are very docile pets and the only times when they would bite their owner is if they are mistreated.
Can a tortoise bite your finger off? In most cases no, a tortoise can’t bite your finger off. The only exception would be a giant tortoise, like the Galápagos tortoise, which is very peaceful, so they wouldn’t do that, but technically speaking they have the force to do so.
Do tortoises bond with humans? Tortoises can bond with humans, and develop trust towards them.
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