Essay on When can tortoises be aggressive?

Tortoise becomes aggressive in different situations for instance when encountering with a human being or threatened by the human being. I would start with hungry tortoises who becomes aggressive when nutrition is insufficient for them. Tortoises also become aggressive when there is not stimulation provided to them. Tortoise behaviour is quite opposite to our perception about them. We generally consider them lazy and sleepy but in reality, they want activities and stimulation to make themselves active and entertained. Gravid female’s tortoises who have the responsibility to take care of their eggs become aggressive when they feel insecurity for their eggs. Tortoises are extremely focused on dominance and leadership. If we keep two male tortoises in the same room they will fight with each in aggression to show their dominance. Hormonal aggressiveness is also common in older male tortoises. While advancing in age they become more and more aggressive and their urge to mate increases. If we keep a tortoise alone in the cage it would become extremely aggressive with time.        

Top 10 most aggressive tortoises

Aggressive tortoise it may seem funny to you. You generally consider tortoise and turtles quite harmless and slow creature who even does not care about what happens around them. But the reality is different. In actual, aggressive turtles and tortoise can put your life in an endangering situation. These following are the top 10 most aggressive turtles and tortoise.

1)      Leatherback Sea Tortoise

Leatherback sea tortoise is the largest. It is famous for its aggressiveness and danger for the human being. Although, it does not hurt or bite a human being unless it is aggressive. Leatherback sea turtle only becomes dangerous for a human being when they encountered it at the wrong time and wrong place.    

A long neck and spiny head turtle which is famous for its aggressive behaviour is Mata Mata. It would be shocking for you if I say you can save your life from aggressive Mata Mata if you run very far from them in water or on land. Apart from taking your life, aggressive Mata Mata can seriously injure you in aggressiveness.

Big-headed turtles can be easily found in lakes and river dwellers. Big-headed turtles become extremely aggressive and furious to protect its eggs when it encountered a human being near to its eggs.      

A strange and soft-shelled turtle is very quick to attack. Soft-shelled usually does not attack unless they are aggressive because of an unwanted movement and threat by a human being.    

Alligator snapping tortoise becomes aggressive when it is on land. However, in water, its behaviour is relatively less aggressive. Although, it does not mean Alligator snapping tortoise is harmless in water. If you view the history, you will find that Alligator snapping tortoise has eaten many swimmers because of aggressive behaviour.

Desert tortoise are threats for the people who travel across the desert with weapons. Desert tortoise is famous for aggressive behaviour toward human being and even other living creatures. 

The Sulcata tortoises are a prone creature for aggressive behaviour. In these tortoises, male’s aggression is more than female. Somehow, we can reduce aggression in Sulcata Tortoises by making it socialized and comfortable.

The friendly nature Russian tortoises are relatively less aggressive as compared to the above-discussed tortoises. However, sometimes it becomes aggressive which makes it dangerous for the human being.     

Gopher tortoises only become aggressive when it feels something threating and dangerous around it. Normally, Gopher remains domestic and less aggressive.  

Galapagos can be presented as an example of aggression. It becomes extremely aggressive before mating or when threatened. Galapagos aggression can be controlled by limiting encounter with them.