Western Pond Turtles have been known to take advantage of the freshwater aquatic environment at Whitewater Ranch, as they prefer marshes, streams, ponds, and lakes with ample logs and rock features to bask in the sun. They are native to regions throughout the west coast, but are listed as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss due to human activity.
We collected data on Western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) and Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) using a similar protocol to the 2017 version. However, after the big February snow storm, the giant log in Goose Creek moved and the downstream pool it created is no longer there. Because of this, we used only the log as an observation point to conduct our 20 minute surveys, once in early April and again in mid May. These surveys entailed a 10 minute period of silence to calm our environment and avoid disturbance, followed by a 20 minute period of quietly. Sitting 25 meters away from the log, we scanned our surroundings (in particular the creek) in search of turtles and other wildlife.
Unfortunately, we recorded no sightings of any species of turtle during our two turtle monitoring surveys, nor do we have any pictures of turtles.