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Sea Turtles in the Dry Tortugas: Tracking Movements of Endangered Species in Florida's Coral-Reef Habitats

Kristen Hart and Keith Ludwig of the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) participated in two research cruises in 2008 to study patterns of habitat use by endangered sea turtles in and around the National Park. Hart's research effort focuses on quantifying patterns of sea turtle habitat use, employing capture-recapture and satellite- and More...

  • One of the smallest juvenile green turtles (Chelonia agassizii) captured thus far, August 2008, Dry

Molecular and phenotypic diversity in Chionactis occipitalis (Western Shovel-nosed Snake), with emphasis on the status of C. o. klauberi (Tucson Shovel-nosed Snake)

The Alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus) is both a federally and state listed endangered species limited to scrub and chaparral habitat within Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, CA. Loss and fragmentation of habitat due to agricultural and urban development over the last 100 years are cited as the main causes of its decline. Based More...

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Protocols for Drawing Blood from the Brachial Plexus of Desert Tortoises

Instructions for ordering equipment and culture media; summary of how to draw blood and conduct nasal lavages; and information on how to contract for laboratory analysis and ship laboratory samples.

  • Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Diamondback Terrapin in the Chesapeake Bay

Summary of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center's progress to assess the status of Northern diamondback terrapins in the Chesapeake Bay. PWRC's objectives included providing "information on current habitat type and activities of the diamondback terrapin," and evaluating "the genetic relatedness, levels of gene flow and degree of isolation of More...

  • Diamondback terrapin

Salvaging Injured, Recently Dead, Ill, and Dying Wild, Free-Roaming Desert Tortoises (Gopherus Agassizii)

Salvage of injured, recently dead, ill, and dying desert tortoises is a very important part of recovery programs for these reptiles. Salvaged desert tortoises can provide a wealth of information about such subjects as health, disease, presence of heavy metals and other toxicants, and causes of mortality in populations. When tortoises are salvaged More...

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Anthropogenic Degradation of the Southern California Desert Ecosystem and Prospects for Natural Recovery and Restoration

This project started to conduct an extensive review of the literature pertaining to restoring degraded desert tortoise habitat, with emphasis on the Mojave Desert. Recovery to pre-disturbance plant cover and biomass may take from 50-300 years while complete ecosystem recovery may require over 3,000 years. Restoration can be used to enhance the More...

  • Scarred hillside near Palm Springs, California

Spatial pattern of risk of common raven predation on desert tortoises

One cause for declines in desert tortoise populations is predation on juveniles by common ravens (Corvus corax), a predatory bird species native to the Mojave Desert. The Recovery Plan for the Desert Tortoise recommended that research be conducted on sources of mortality (including natural predation). This study was implemented to investigate the More...

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Partnership Returns Captive Desert Tortoises to the Wild

Captive desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) are getting a "second chance" to live and reproduce in the deserts of the southwest thanks to a unique partnership among state and federal agencies in Nevada. As part of the Desert Tortoise Translocation and Habitat Efficacy Study, captive desert tortoises will be released starting March of 1997 onto More...

  • Photo of a Desert tortoise

Ecology of the Western Pond Turtle in the Mojave River

Little is known about the western pond turtle, a species protected by the State of California. The U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and the California Department of Fish and Game are together studying the ecology of the turtle: distribution and status, demographic structure, clutch size and frequency, and seasonal changes in More...

  • Western pond turtle

Research Natural Areas of Southern Oregon: Amphibians

An overview of research that defines the distribution and habitat requirements of amphibians and reptiles in southern Oregon, mostly in old-growth forests or alpine habitats. Includes links to USGS publications resulting from this research.

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Inventory and Monitoring of Amphibians and Reptiles in Olympic National Park

Description of a project to determine the status of reptiles and amphibians at Olympic National Park. Includes project objectives, metadata, related publications, and contact information.

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State Partnership: Assessment of Sensitive Amphibians and Reptiles in Southern Oregon

There is a relatively rich herpetofauna in southwestern Oregon with about 38 species present. These species are almost equally divided between amphibians and reptiles. The objective of this issue overview is to conduct field surveys and assess status of several amphibian species of management concern, including: Western toad (Bufo boreas), Cascade More...

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