Soule: How is a Sea Turtle like a Cow?

Turtles get sick when they mistake floating plastic bits for something edible. This non-food weakens a turtle’s immune system, allowing tumors to grow that can eventually kill it. When a sick turtle is rescued, tumors are surgically removed, and maggots are applied to help clean the wound. These creepy, crawly larvae can be calf killers, but I was heartened to hear about their practical side.

Kruger and most of the turtles at the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key in Florida recover and are eventually released, but some, like Montel, who lost a flipper in a boating accident, will live out their lives at the Rescue Center.

Turtles, just like my cattle, have personalities. Li’l Fat Briana likes to bite handlers and other turtles but will sulk and stop eating when isolated in her own tank. I once had a cow like that. She was anti-social with the herd but didn’t like being apart.

My cows love a good back rub, and so do turtles. But how does that work for a sea turtle?

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., where she raises and sells beef and other local products. She can be reached at carolesoule60@gmail.com. Her book, Yes, I Name Them, will be available in Sept, 2023.