Images

These turtles are considered juveniles until they reach about 5 inches long. In this part of their range turtles remain juveniles and usually do not begin to reproduce until they are over ten years old.  

Photo taken at Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon. 

We glue transmitters onto their upper shells (called their carapace) using non-permanent epoxy. We will track these turtles until the transmitter battery dies (about 2 years) and soon after that the epoxy degrades, and the transmitter will fall off the turtle without harming the turtle or it's shell. 

Northwestern pond turtles are sexually dimorphic (females and males look different). One way to tell female and male turtles apart is that they often have different color patterns on their face and throats. Females have a more speckled throat, while males throats tend to be more solidly white/yellow.

This is a juvenile turtle. When they aren't in scared or in danger, northwestern turtles are very curious and will look towards movements and unusual sounds to figure out what is going on. They have excellent vision and hearing.  

Photo taken at Hills Creek Reservoir, Oregon. 

Turtle found in the spring coming out of brumation. It is still covered in mud from being buried in the ground all winter.  They can brumate up to several months! 

Photo taken at Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon. 

Northwestern pond turtles often return to the same area each winter for brumation. We tracked this turtle overwintering in almost the exact same area in the winters of 2023 and 2024. It's brumation location was only 11m apart between the two years.  

Photo taken at Fall Creek Reservoir, Oregon. 

This turtle crossed a road leaving the reservoir and will cross it again to return to the reservoir. Road crossings present high risk to turtles and are a large source of mortality.  

Photo taken at Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon

Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) and Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP) r2 values when compared to field observations. The variation between models and version was high. 

Cinnamon teal with a GPS tracking backpack that weighs 10 grams, making it much more successful in staying on longer than heavier tracking devices. 

A young rough-skinned newt in a defensive posture known as "unkenreflex." Several amphibian species curl up their bodies to display their brightly colored bellies as a warning to predators that they are poisonous.

Screenshot of the Conservation Efforts Database Cutthroat Trout Module. The interactive map shows different kinds of cutthroat trout restoration projects currently in the database and where they are.  

Screenshot of the Conservation Efforts Database Sagebrush Trends Module. The interactive map shows different kinds of sagebrush trends currently in the database and where they are.   

Screenshot of the Conservation Efforts Gunnison Sage-Grouse Module. The interactive map shows different kinds of Gunnison Sage-Grouse restoration projects currently in the database and where they are.     

Image of a Lahontan cutthroat trout swimming in a stream. Image taken by Justin Welty. 

Screenshot of the Conservation Efforts Database sagebrush module. The interactive map shows different kinds of sagebrush restoration projects currently in the database and where they are. 

If dispersal is not possible, reptile species-richness will remain concentrated in the southwest U.S. and northern Mexico as the climate changes. Areas shaded in dark brown show a loss of reptile species, which may happen if the climate becomes too warm. Areas in white have no change in species richness.

Climate-niche species richness for 130 lizard and snake species between recent and late-century future climate scenario if animals are able to disperse freely to areas with suitable climate. Areas in dark brown have fewer species in the future and areas in teal gained climate-niche space for novel species.

The northern rubber boa is an example of a species predicted to have a smaller climate-niche space by the end of the century. Under climate scenario RCP 8.5--which assumes carbon emissions stay near current levels--this species' range could be reduced from most of the northwestern U.S. to only a small portion of British Columbia.

The Gila monster is an example of a species predicted to have an expanded climate-niche space by the end of the century. Under climate scenario RCP 8.5--which assumes carbon emissions stay near current levels--this species' range could expand as far north as Washington State.

A USGS field crew working on soil sampling, plant community monitoring, and soil water infiltration in the Colorado 'front range.'

A USGS scientist prepares a mini-disc infiltrometer to assess soil water infiltration. The degree to which water can infiltrate soil is closely tied to soil carbon content.