r/TurtleFacts • u/remotectrl On loan from /r/BatFacts • Aug 12 '16

Article The Ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus was reportedly killed when an eagle dropped a tortoise on his head. Eagles are among the few predators of tortoises as they can break their shells by flinging them from great height.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeschylus
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10

u/TheTartanDervish Aug 12 '16

This is a major plot device in Terry Pratchett's book "Small Gods" - fantastic comedic novel, highly recommend!

4

u/Wixou Aug 12 '16

Eventually turtles will evolve wings
That's my favourite Pratchett book :)

1

u/Turtledonuts Aug 13 '16

Came here to say this.

5

u/DinoRaawr Aug 13 '16

I remember reading this in Ripley's Believe it or Not as a kid! The eagle mistook his bald head for a boulder. There was also something else about being warned by a psychic or something.. I wish I could find that book

5

u/paper-tigers Aug 13 '16

Dude I found some old Ripley's books from like the 70's, and I swear the majority of stuff in there was made up. I would search online to corroborate the stories but couldn't find most of them. I think they made a lot of stuff up.

2

u/DinoRaawr Aug 13 '16

Yeah I'd believe that. Some of those stories were straight up ridiculous

2

u/snow_worm Aug 13 '16

Was the tortoise okay at least?

1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '16

First death from aerial assault?

1

u/Iamnotburgerking Aug 29 '16

It is quite likely a lammergeier, rather than an eagle, was behind this one, though either makes sense.

1

u/lizard455 Sep 04 '16

Was it's shell by any chance blue?