Two West Coast Pond Turtles Proposed for Endangered Species Protections
Two West Coast Pond Turtles Proposed for Endangered Species ... Center for Biological Diversity
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Protection for Northwestern and Southwestern Pond Turtles
In response to a petition and lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect northwestern and southwestern pond turtles in California, Oregon, and Washington as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Importance of Endangered Species Act Protections
“Endangered Species Act protections are a much-needed lifeline for our dwindling native West Coast turtles,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center. “Pond turtles are crucial to healthy rivers and wetlands, and losing them would impoverish aquatic ecosystems.”
Species Distribution
The southwestern pond turtle lives in Southern California from Monterey County southward and into northern Baja California, Mexico. The northwestern pond turtle is found in Washington, Oregon, and California north of the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Central Valley.
Habitat and Behavior
The name “pond turtle” is something of a misnomer because this species frequently lives in rivers. Pond turtles inhabit permanent and intermittent waters of rivers, creeks, small lakes and ponds, marshes, irrigation ditches, and reservoirs. Turtles bask on land or near water on logs, branches, or boulders. They require terrestrial habitat for nesting and overwintering, which is a form of hibernation. Pond turtles are highly opportunistic eaters and will consume almost anything they can catch and overpower.
Threats to Pond Turtles
Pond turtles are imperiled by habitat loss and fragmentation from urban development and agriculture, dam construction, disease, invasive species, and climate change.
Population Decline
A respiratory disease epidemic in Washington in 1990 left a total population of fewer than 100 pond turtles in the state, though there have been some reintroduction efforts. They have been nearly wiped out in lower Puget Sound, and only two populations remain in the Columbia River Gorge.
In the Willamette Valley in Oregon, pond turtles appear to have declined by 99%. In California’s Central Valley, where most of their natural habitat has been eliminated, surveys detected turtles at only 15 of 55 sites, with sizable populations only at five sites. Pond turtle numbers are in precipitous decline in Southern California, with few stable, reproducing populations known between Los Angeles and the Mexican border.
State-Level Protections
At the state level, pond turtles are listed as endangered in Washington, sensitive/critical in Oregon, and a species of special concern in California. Although habitat destruction is one of the biggest threats to the turtle, none of these state laws provided effective habitat protection.
Distinct Species
A 2014 genetic analysis of pond turtles along the West Coast determined they are two distinct species, each of which is more endangered than previously thought.
Delayed Protection
The Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2015 that Endangered Species Act protection may be warranted for pond turtles, but the agency delayed protection.
Center Lawsuit
Today’s listing comes in response to a Center lawsuit seeking timely status evaluations and protection decisions for 241 plant and animal species thought to be trending toward extinction, including the northwestern and southwestern pond turtles. The Center and several renowned scientists and herpetologists petitioned to protect the pond turtles in 2012.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 15: Life on Land
- Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
- Indicator: The proposed protection of northwestern and southwestern pond turtles under the Endangered Species Act is a significant action to prevent the extinction of these threatened species and reduce the degradation of their natural habitats.
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SDG 13: Climate Action
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- Indicator: The article mentions that pond turtles are imperiled by climate change, indicating the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards for these species.
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and prevent the extinction of threatened species. | The proposed protection of northwestern and southwestern pond turtles under the Endangered Species Act is a significant action to prevent the extinction of these threatened species and reduce the degradation of their natural habitats. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | The article mentions that pond turtles are imperiled by climate change, indicating the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards for these species. |
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Source: biologicaldiversity.org
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