From Equine to Wildlife

Check out Emily Tuttle's experience at the Cornell Wildlife Hospital! She is a third year at Cornell University.

"As an equine-focused vet student working as a technician with the Cornell Wildlife Hospital, I have had more incredible experiences than I can count in the last two years. I didn't even know the species of half my patients before I started working here, much less how to treat them. That being said, my favorite experience so far has been working with snapping turtles (which, in case you didn't know, are basically dinosaurs, in my opinion!) Unfortunately many snapping turtles are killed by cars each summer, and some are brought in to our clinic by good Samaritans. Some of the turtles brought in this summer happened to be gravid, and we were able to rescue, incubate, and eventually hatch their eggs. Due to the cold Ithaca winters, the decision was made to raise some of the hatchlings until the following spring, when they would be bigger and better able to survive in the wild.

I've adopted three (Littlefoot, Petrie, and Spike), and they've been a constant source of entertainment and learning opportunities ever since. In the six months I've had them, I've seen their individual personalities come out while watching them practice swimming in deep water, play in dirt, and learn how to catch and eat worms. Littlefoot even decided to climb to the top of a fake tree in their tank (after many failed attempts) [pics included]. They've all doubled in size, and I know that they will be well-suited to life in the wild when they are released in a couple months. I am proud of the work I've done with them, but I am also grateful for the experience. I have been inspired to research a lot about turtle physiology and life in the wild in order to provide them with the best head start that I can. It has also allowed me to appreciate a wider perspective on veterinary medicine, which I believe will be beneficial to me in my future experiences."