Feral pigs eating turtles

[marcus0002]

Pig hunters cut open a pig they shot and found it full of baby turtles
The Queensland Government has declared war on feral pigs, but some want it to match its rhetoric with funding - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[GeckoJosh]

Is it just me of do those turtles look fake?

 

[vampstorso]

Is it just me of do those turtles look fake?

Certainly don't look partially digested :/

must be recently consumed or placed on top for demonstration purposes?

 

[princessparrot]

Not too sure about that one

 

[Bluetongue1]

The stomach contents have obviously been arranged to highlight the number of turtles.
The turtles are perfectly normal looking young of the Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus), a species which only breeds around northern Australia and in fairly specific spots.

Blue

 

[marcus0002]

Maybe the pig swallowed them whole and was shot the same day

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[Jacknife]

Awfully skilled pig when it comes to catching that many turtles, that would be my only reality query...

 

[Mr.Self-destruct]

I'm assuming the people posting that this looks fake haven't done many necropsies in their time. That is precisely what recently eaten baby turtles would look like. And Jack, in answer to you question, sea turtles emerge from their nests at the same time. This pig was obviously beach combing when it came upon a hatching nest. You will also notice each of these turtle hatchlings have been crushed ie. was chewed before being swallowed. There are also shell fragments suggesting the pig dug down to the actual nest cavity.

Pigs are not herbivores, they are omnivores, they will kill and eat everything from bugs to lambs. This is not uncommon. In some areas you can find burrowing frogs by the hundreds... by cutting open a pig's stomach. They are a devastating animal on the Australian landscape. The link above demonstrates that nicely.

 

[Cypher69]

That is precisely what recently eaten baby turtles would look like.

No signs of bite marks, missing limbs, crushed bodies...?

Pig must've swallowed them like whales do to plankton.

 

[Mr.Self-destruct]

No signs of bite marks, missing limbs, crushed bodies...?

Pig must've swallowed them like whales do to plankton.

Don't be that person. Hatchling flatbacks fit in your palm. Crabs can predate them. An adult pig can swallow your fist. Disregarding that, if you look at the photo you will see the hatchlings are crushed, and in fact DO have missing pieces. This isn't some big conspiracy to make you not like feral pigs.

 

[marcus0002]

I'm assuming the people posting that this looks fake haven't done many necropsies in their time. That is precisely what recently eaten baby turtles would look like. And Jack, in answer to you question, sea turtles emerge from their nests at the same time. This pig was obviously beach combing when it came upon a hatching nest. You will also notice each of these turtle hatchlings have been crushed ie. was chewed before being swallowed. There are also shell fragments suggesting the pig dug down to the actual nest cavity.

Pigs are not herbivores, they are omnivores, they will kill and eat everything from bugs to lambs. This is not uncommon. In some areas you can find burrowing frogs by the hundreds... by cutting open a pig's stomach. They are a devastating animal on the Australian landscape. The link above demonstrates that nicely.

Your right on the money there. Feral cats are just as bad.

 

[Jacknife]

I'm assuming the people posting that this looks fake haven't done many necropsies in their time. That is precisely what recently eaten baby turtles would look like. And Jack, in answer to you question, sea turtles emerge from their nests at the same time. This pig was obviously beach combing when it came upon a hatching nest. You will also notice each of these turtle hatchlings have been crushed ie. was chewed before being swallowed. There are also shell fragments suggesting the pig dug down to the actual nest cavity.

Pigs are not herbivores, they are omnivores, they will kill and eat everything from bugs to lambs. This is not uncommon. In some areas you can find burrowing frogs by the hundreds... by cutting open a pig's stomach. They are a devastating animal on the Australian landscape. The link above demonstrates that nicely.

That would be my assumption also, pig discovering nest. Not really denying it just saying that would be the only query.

 

[Cypher69]

Don't be that person. Hatchling flatbacks fit in your palm. Crabs can predate them. An adult pig can swallow your fist. Disregarding that, if you look at the photo you will see the hatchlings are crushed, and in fact DO have missing pieces. This isn't some big conspiracy to make you not like feral pigs.

I'm not denying that the turtles were killed/eaten by the pig. I'm just saying that manipulating the shot by laying all the turtles out neatly (notice they're all facing the same way) kinda leads to people's doubts & takes the focus away from the real issue.

 

[beastcreature]

Haven't you guys ever seen Hannibal?

 

[marcus0002]

I'm not denying that the turtles were killed/eaten by the pig. I'm just saying that manipulating the shot by laying all the turtles out neatly (notice they're all facing the same way) kinda leads to people's doubts & takes the focus away from the real issue.

How would you have taken that photo?

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[moosenoose]

The Greens will ensure those pigs are protected...don't worry folks That's what they're all about

 

[marcus0002]

Don't even get me started on the greens mate. They would ban private reptile keeping if they could

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[morelia_mad]

 

[princessparrot]

That's nasty

 

[Rlpreston]

I'm not denying that the turtles were killed/eaten by the pig. I'm just saying that manipulating the shot by laying all the turtles out neatly (notice they're all facing the same way) kinda leads to people's doubts & takes the focus away from the real issue.

The point of the arrangement of the contents is to highlight the range and numbers of prey items found in stomachs (and is often done this way for photographs). If they just cut it open and took a pic it would not give a true indication of stomach contents as you would just see a pile of 'things'. This way it is clear exactly what is being eaten and how much, rather than relying on printed figures with no visual proof.