08/8/11Turtle Whisperer, A story by Jim Pfitzer
“They knew I had cared for baby animals before and knew I’d be good at it,” the young Fazio told me when I inquired as to why she was chosen to take on the huge task of caring for turtles that should still be in their eggs and incubating in the ground. Fazio’s history of caring for animals in need includes two bunnies, birds, and one squirrel, but prematurely hatched turtles is another story.
According to Farm Manager Jennie Bartoletti, they were digging the last of the potatoes with the tractor. “The big metal trencher…basically digs a trench into the ground and unearths the potatoes. This time around we also unearthed a turtle nest.”
One egg was still in tact, but unfortunately the trencher broke the other, leaving a baby turtle that in Jennies words was “very rudely introduced to life.” The baby was still attached to a yolk sac, but without the protection of its shell, the nutrient-packed sac would surely dry up.
Fazio didn’t think the premature turtle would survive, but she kept it on a damp paper towel to keep the yolk hydrated and in a day the sac shrank by more than half. One more day and the sac was almost gone. The turtle was getting the nutrients it needed.
Meanwhile, the turtle in the egg still had some challenges of its own. Fazio put it in 
some dirt, but unfortunately, a chicken got to it and severely damaged the eggshell. Seeing that the first turtle was doing well outside its egg, Fazio carefully opened up the second one and removed the turtle. This one was larger than its sibling and looked healthy.
Fortunately, this young wildlife rehabilitator had some turtle food on hand from a previous patient so she began feeding. The larger one began eating pretty quickly and the smaller one, now done with her yolk, is eating as well. “We are feeding them dried shrimp,” says Fazio, “They seem to like that.”
Fazio admitted to not being a turtle expert but said that with her mom’s help, they found a lot of information online. They determined the species of their patients to be red-eared sliders-common semi-aquatic turtles.
Concerned that if she took them back to the farm when they were old enough to be released, they might end up back in the field laying their own eggs and subject their offspring to the same fate, Fazio plans to take the turtles to the swamp on Williams Island. And when will that be? “When they have lost their egg sacs and they’re eating and big enough to not be eaten,” she said.
Fazio wants to study animals around the world when she grows up. “Ocean stuff would be cool-fish…but I want to work in the wild, when they are in their natural habitat, not in an aquarium or zoo or something like that.”
In the mean time, she’s doing a great job sharpening her turtle whispering skills right here at home.