this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 77 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Herbivores are pretty universally opportunistic carnivores. Check YouTube for examples if you want a jarring few minutes

[–] bitcrafter@programming.dev 11 points 1 day ago

...though my personal recommendation is that you don't.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 49 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Need to snack on the crunchy chicks to get the evil modifier up. There’s a door with loot, after all.

It’s okay, because you can get even more loot by donating to a temple; and everyone forgets it.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't have any context for that image. What is it?

[–] Kobibi@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

Cool. Thanks!

[–] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 42 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Not that surprising. Many herbivores are opportunistic carnivores.

[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago

Usually mostly mammals though because since they're able to digest breast milk a little meat tends to agree with them better. But yeah at the end of the day free protein is probably worth an upset tummy out in the wild.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Also most carnivores are oportunistic herbivores too. It's not shocking enough, but it's true.

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, I also feel like that's not a surprise to anybody that's had dogs.

My cats sometimes think they're plastic-vores so I gotta keep the bags locked up.

[–] Fleur_@aussie.zone 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just wait till you hear what people eat

Whoever wrote that headline would shit a brick if they saw Balut

[–] vrek@programming.dev 25 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fun... Well not really fun... Fact:

Giant tortoise didn't get a scientific name for 300 years. They were so delicious no crew actually managed to get one back to England. They always ended up eating all the cargo.

[–] AbsolutelyClawless@piefed.social 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Another not-so-fun fact: several tortoise species have gone extinct due to humans hunting them for food.

[–] stray@pawb.social 24 points 2 days ago

Everyone eats baby birds. They're full of delicious little bones, which plants are famous for lacking.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Zoos secretly buy rejected 1-day-old male chicks from egg farms: it's the cheapest live meat for carnivores. I wonder if that's how the chick got near the tortoise.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

How'd you get in on the secret?

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 4 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

It's not really a secret, it was reported on public radio in my country recently, zoos admit to it when asked. But they don't actively spread this information: during beasts' of prey public feeding hours, they are given something less gory but more expensive, like a skinned pig you might see at a butcher's.

[–] webp@mander.xyz 7 points 1 day ago

Pretty much the only prey they outspeed

[–] MissJinx@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

humm tendies

[–] umbraroze@slrpnk.net 3 points 6 hours ago

Tortoise: "I'm not a goddamn rock! You pooped on me for the last time! ...Not so tough these days, eh, dinosaur?"

But seriously, not surprising. I heard that many tortoises, while herbivorous, will just happily munch all snails that rest on the greens. (For nutrition. And also to demonstrate superiour speed!)

[–] notsure@fedia.io 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

...a slow, carnivorous reptile finds a food source...breaking news...wtf are you people stupid?.. I only calls 'em like a sees 'em

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Carniverous? All living giant tortoise species are herbivores.

Now who's stupid.

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Damn well near every herbivore will happily eat meat if it's entirely risk free and can easily be eaten.

Look at horses as a great example.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

Yes. The other person said they were "carnivorous" though. Giant tortoises are not carnivorous.

Horses are also not carnivorous even though they do eat meat on rare occasions to survive.

Words mean things.

You're also wrong about horses. Put a steak on the ground in field of plentiful grass, horses will ignore it until it's rotted away to nothing. They do not just eat stuff outside of their regular died because its risk free and easily obtained.

[–] notsure@fedia.io 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

...apparently, we're both wrong...according to wikipedia...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoise

[–] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] notsure@fedia.io -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

...yeah, you didn't read the full article which contradicts itself...

[–] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh yes, my bad, you gave me a broken link and an entire wikipedia article

[–] notsure@fedia.io -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

...you didn't read the article...

[–] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can’t read, it’s my greatest secret

[–] notsure@fedia.io 1 points 1 day ago
[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago

If you're surprised by this, you haven't been following giant tortoises.

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 3 points 8 hours ago

NGL if a turtle eats you, that sounds like a skill issue on your part.