Scavenging by young tortoises (Testudo sp.) could induce their predation by the Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)

Eating owl pellets by non-predator vertebrates is a rare and difficult-to-prove food chain relationship. In this paper, I reported the first record of a Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca) eating a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) pellet with remains of a right Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) wing....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ornis Hungarica
Main Author: Milchev, Boyan
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2023
Subjects:
QH301 Biology / biológia
QL Zoology / állattan
QL750-QL782.5 Animal behavior / etológia
állat-viselkedéstan
eurasian eagle-owl
állat
Online Access:https://real.mtak.hu/203709/
https://real.mtak.hu/203709/1/10.2478_orhu-2023-0034.pdf
https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0034
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Summary:Eating owl pellets by non-predator vertebrates is a rare and difficult-to-prove food chain relationship. In this paper, I reported the first record of a Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca) eating a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) pellet with remains of a right Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) wing. Scavenging of food remains around owl nests by young tortoises may possibly explain the few cases of tortoise-eating Eurasian Eagle-Owls.

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