As a Research Ecologist, Jeff is interested in the interactions of animals and their physical environment. Current research is focused on the ecology of turtles and tortoises and the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development (wind and solar) on wildlife, particularly in the Desert Southwest USA.
Research interests
Jeff has studied the ecology and systematics of turtles and other animals for over 30 years, discovering and naming four of the world’s 356 turtle species, including three in the United States and one in Japan. Other interests include the ecological impacts of invasive species, the ecology and distribution of relict species, and the impacts of human activities (including wind and solar energy development) on wildlife and ecological patterns and processes in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.
Books
- Turtles of the United States and Canada (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994)
- Biological Diversity: Problems and Challenges (Pennsylvania Academy of Science, 1994)
- The State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in the Grand Canyon (U.S. Geological Survey, 2005)
- Turtles of the United States and Canada, Second Edition (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009)
- Turtles of the World (Princeton University Press, 2021)
Professional Experience
Center Director - USGS, Western Ecological Research Center
Chief - USGS, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center
Education and Certifications
B.S. (1982) and M.S. degrees (1984) Biology, George Mason University
Ph.D. (1990) Ecology, University of Georgia, Institute of Ecology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Member IUCN (World Conservation Union), Species Survival Commission, Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
Honors and Awards
Fulbright Senior Specialist Award 2008 Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
Elected Fellow of The Linnean Society of London, the world's oldest active biological society.
Science and Products
High female desert tortoise mortality in the western Sonoran Desert during California’s epic 2012–2016 drought
Injuries and abnormalities of the southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) in the Mojave River of California
The southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) is a semiaquatic turtle that occasionally spends time on land to bask, oviposit, make intermittent overland movements, and overwinter in terrestrial locations. Use of both aquatic and terrestrial environments exposes semiaquatic turtles to increased risk of injury or mortality from floods, predation attempts, and other environmental hazards (e.g., h
Re-evaluating invasive species in degraded ecosystems: A case study of red-eared slider turtles as partial ecological analogs
Birds not in flight: Using camera traps to observe ground use of birds at a wind-energy facility
Turtles of the World: A guide to every family
Growing as slow as a turtle: Unexpected maturational differences in a small, long-lived species
Western pond turtles in the Mojave Desert? A review of their past, present, and possible future
Non-native Pond Sliders cause long-term decline of native Sonora Mud Turtles: A 33-year before-after study in an undisturbed natural environment
Gopherus Agassizii (Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise). Overwinter movement
‘Unscrambling’ the drivers of egg production in Agassiz’s desert tortoise: Climate and individual attributes predict reproductive output
A watershed moment: Analysis of sub-basins refocuses the geography of turtle conservation across the globe
Micro-geographic variation in burrow use of Agassiz’s desert tortoises in the Sonoran Desert of California
Little has been published regarding the burrowing habits of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Sonoran Desert of California. We monitored the interactions of tortoises with their burrows, and other tortoises, via radio-telemetry at two nearby sites between the Cottonwood and Orocopia Mountains, from 2015-2018. We examined how annual cycles of drought and non-drought years, beha
The Gemini Solar Project
Turtle Ecology
Desert Tortoise Ecology and Renewable Energy Development
Desert Tortoise Ecology
Injury and abnormality data for southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) from 3 sites along the Mojave River, California from separate surveys in 1998-1999 and 2017-2019
Sonora Mud Turtles and non-native turtles, Montezuma Well, Yavapai County, Arizona, 1983 - 2015
Agassiz's desert tortoise and egg data from the Sonoran Desert of California (1997-2000, 2015-2018)
Southern Pacific Pond Turtle Data, Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Spatial distribution and risk analysis data for diamond-backed terrapins relative to crab trapping, Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, USA
Desert tortoise reproductive ecology and precipitation, Mojave and Sonoran DesertsData
Body size estimates for slider turtles in the United States, 1944-2010Data
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 100
High female desert tortoise mortality in the western Sonoran Desert during California’s epic 2012–2016 drought
We conducted population surveys for desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii at 2 nearby sites in the western Sonoran Desert of California, USA, from 2015-2018, during the driest ongoing 22 yr period (2000-2021) in the southwestern USA in over 1200 yr. We hypothesized that drought-induced mortality would be female-biased due to water and energy losses attributable to egg production during protracted peAuthorsJeffrey E. Lovich, Michele (Shellie) R. Puffer, Kristy L. Cummings, Terence R. Arundel, Michael S. Vamstad, Kathleen D. BrundigeInjuries and abnormalities of the southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) in the Mojave River of California
The southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) is a semiaquatic turtle that occasionally spends time on land to bask, oviposit, make intermittent overland movements, and overwinter in terrestrial locations. Use of both aquatic and terrestrial environments exposes semiaquatic turtles to increased risk of injury or mortality from floods, predation attempts, and other environmental hazards (e.g., h
AuthorsKristy L. Cummings, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Michele (Shellie) R. Puffer, Sarah Greely, Christopher D Otahal, James GannonRe-evaluating invasive species in degraded ecosystems: A case study of red-eared slider turtles as partial ecological analogs
Exotic species are often vilified as "bad" without consideration of the potential they have for contributing to ecological functions in degraded ecosystems. The red-eared slider turtle (RES) has been disparaged as one of the worst invasive species. Based on this review, we suggest that RES contribute some ecosystem functions in urban wetlands comparable to those provided by the native turtles theyAuthorsMarc Dupuis-Desormeaux, Jeffrey E. Lovich, J. Whitfield GibbonsBirds not in flight: Using camera traps to observe ground use of birds at a wind-energy facility
Context: Camera trapping is increasingly used to collect information on wildlife occurrence and behaviour remotely. Not only does the technique provide insights into habitat use by species of interest, it also gathers information on non-target species.Aims: We implemented ground-based camera trapping to investigate the behaviours of ground-dwelling birds, a technique that has largely been unutilisAuthorsShellie R. Puffer, Laura A. Tennant, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Mickey Agha, Amanda L. Smith, David Delaney, Terence R. Arundel, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Jessica Briggs, Andrew Walde, Joshua EnnenTurtles of the World: A guide to every family
Turtles of the World reveals the extraordinary diversity of these amazing reptiles. Characterized by the bony shell that acts as a shield to protect the softer body within, turtles are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs and are even more ancient in evolutionary terms than snakes and crocodilians. Of more than 350 species known today, some are highly endangered. In this beautiful guide, turtlAuthorsJeffrey E. Lovich, Whit GibbonsGrowing as slow as a turtle: Unexpected maturational differences in a small, long-lived species
Turtle body size is associated with demographic and other traits like mating success, reproductive output, maturity, and survival. As such, growth analyses are valuable for testing life history theory, demographic modeling, and conservation planning. Two important but unsettled research areas relate to growth after maturity and growth rate variation. If individuals exhibit indeterminate growth aftAuthorsDevin Edmonds, Michael J. Dreslik, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Thomas P. Wilson, Carl H. ErnstWestern pond turtles in the Mojave Desert? A review of their past, present, and possible future
=The western pond turtle (WPT) was formerly considered a single species (Actinemys or Emys marmorata) that ranged from southern British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, México. More recently it was divided into a northern and a southern species. WPTs are found primarily in streams that drain into the Pacific Ocean, although scattered populations exist in endorheic drainages of the Great BasinAuthorsJeffrey E. Lovich, George T. Jefferson, Robert E. Reynolds, Peter A. Scott, H. Bradley Shaffer, Shellie R. Puffer, Sarah Greely, Kristy L. Cummings, Robert N. Fisher, Kathie Meyer-Wilkins, Doug Gomez, Morgan Ford, Christopher D OtahalNon-native Pond Sliders cause long-term decline of native Sonora Mud Turtles: A 33-year before-after study in an undisturbed natural environment
Using a before-after study design in a stable, largely undisturbed pond habitat and a dataset spanning 33 years, we document and describe the decline of native Sonora mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) after the introduction of non-native pond sliders (Trachemys scripta). The Sonora mud turtle population in Montezuma Well in central Arizona, USA, declined to less than 25% of previous numbers, frAuthorsCharles A. Drost, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Philip C. Rosen, Matthew Malone, Steven D. GarberGopherus Agassizii (Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise). Overwinter movement
No abstract available.AuthorsKristy L. Cummings, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Shellie R. Puffer‘Unscrambling’ the drivers of egg production in Agassiz’s desert tortoise: Climate and individual attributes predict reproductive output
ABSTRACT: The ‘bet hedging’ life history strategy of long-lived iteroparous species reduces short-term reproductive output to minimize the risk of reproductive failure over a lifetime. For desert-dwelling ectotherms living in variable and unpredictable environments, reproductive output is further influenced by precipitation and temperature via effects on food availability and limits on activity. WAuthorsCorey I. Mitchell, Derek A. Friend, Lauren T. Phillips, Elizabeth A. Hunter, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Mickey Agha, Shellie R. Puffer, Kristy L. Cummings, Philip A. Medica, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Kevin T. ShoemakerA watershed moment: Analysis of sub-basins refocuses the geography of turtle conservation across the globe
Conservation planners use a variety of decision-making tools, many of which require identifying and prioritizing spatial units based on their biodiversity and levels of imperilment. Turtles are highly imperiled, but present schemes for determining global priority areas are focused mostly on broad regional scales. We conduct the first global evaluation of turtle biodiversity and imperilment at a suAuthorsJoshua R. Ennen, Mickey Agha, Sarah C. Sweat, Wildredo A. Matamoros, Jeffrey E. Lovich, John B. Iverson, Anders G.J. Rhodin, Robert C. Thomson, H. Bradley Shaffer, Christopher W. HoagstromMicro-geographic variation in burrow use of Agassiz’s desert tortoises in the Sonoran Desert of California
Little has been published regarding the burrowing habits of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Sonoran Desert of California. We monitored the interactions of tortoises with their burrows, and other tortoises, via radio-telemetry at two nearby sites between the Cottonwood and Orocopia Mountains, from 2015-2018. We examined how annual cycles of drought and non-drought years, beha
AuthorsKristy L. Cummings, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Shellie R. Puffer, Terence R. Arundel, Kathleen D. Brundige - Science
The Gemini Solar Project
The United States is developing renewable energy resources, especially solar, at a rapid rate. Although renewable energy development is widely perceived by the public as “green technology,” construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of facilities all have known and potential negative impacts to natural resources, including plant communities and wildlife. This is especially...Turtle Ecology
Turtles are among the most recognizable and iconic of animals. Any animal with a shell and a backbone is a turtle whether they are called turtles, tortoises, or terrapins. In fact, terrapin is an Algonquian Native American name for turtle. Worldwide there are 356 turtle species on all continents except for Antarctica. The United States has more species than any other country with about 62...Desert Tortoise Ecology and Renewable Energy Development
The desert Southwest is experiencing rapid development of utility-scale solar and wind energy facilities. Although clean renewable energy has environmental benefits, it can also have negative impacts on wildlife and their habitats. Understanding those impacts and effectively mitigating them is a major goal of industry and resource managers. One species of particular concern is Agassiz’s desert...Desert Tortoise Ecology
Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) approach the southern edge of their mostly Mojave Desert range near Joshua Tree National Park. Modern desert tortoise research started in the Park in 1978 when the first tortoise population census was conducted on a one square mile area in the Pinto Basin known as the “Barrow Plot.” U.S. Geological Survey research began at the plot in 1997 and... - Data
Injury and abnormality data for southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) from 3 sites along the Mojave River, California from separate surveys in 1998-1999 and 2017-2019
These data were compiled to assess the size, structure, and health of various populations of Actinemys pallida along the length of the Mojave River. Objective(s) of our study were to determine the extent of injuries and abnormalities within our Actinemys pallida populations (including statistical analyses comparing injuries with turtle sex and size) and estimate the cause(s) of the injuries and abSonora Mud Turtles and non-native turtles, Montezuma Well, Yavapai County, Arizona, 1983 - 2015
These data were compiled as part of an ecological study of Sonora Mud Turtles and their interaction with non-native turtles at Montezuma Well in Yavapai County, Arizona. The data consist of observations and measurements of individual turtles captured during the study, and support analyses of population size and trends, general condition and health of the turtles, and female reproduction. PrincipalAgassiz's desert tortoise and egg data from the Sonoran Desert of California (1997-2000, 2015-2018)
These data were compiled to evaluate reproductive output of Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizzi) in relation to environmental and individual-level variables. We collected data from four study sites in the Sonoran Desert of California, including two separate populations within Joshua Tree National Park, one population located on the northern versant of the Orocopia Mountains, and one popSouthern Pacific Pond Turtle Data, Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California, USA
These data were compiled to study the effects of severe drought and a concurrent large wildfire on a large population of southern Pacific pond turtles living in a rapidly drying lake. The study was done in collaboration with biologists from Ecorp Consulting in Santa Ana, California with funding from the Desert Tortoise Council. Data were collected in August and September of 2014. This worksheet coSpatial distribution and risk analysis data for diamond-backed terrapins relative to crab trapping, Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, USA
There were five objects for compiling these data: 1) to conduct a systematic inventory of diamond-backed terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) using headcount surveys on four National Wildlife Refuges (Harris Neck, Blackbeard Island, Wassaw, and Wolf Island) that are a part of the greater Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex in southeast Georgia, USA; 2) to use occupancy modeling to determine detection probDesert tortoise reproductive ecology and precipitation, Mojave and Sonoran DesertsData
Estimated precipitation data were compiled using the WestMap web site (http://www.cefa.dri.edu/Westmap/) from 1995-2013. We selected pixels on the map shown on their web site that were in the core of our study areas: one near Palm Springs, California and the other at Sugarloaf Mountain in the Tonto National Forest of Arizona. WestMap uses PRISM data to make point measurements of climate data and aBody size estimates for slider turtles in the United States, 1944-2010Data
These data are compiled from published studies of various subspecies of the slider turtle (Trachemys scripta) from throughout the native range of the species in the United States. Data include sample sizes of adult male and female turtles as well as various estimates of their body size as noted in the Comments column. The purpose for collecting these data was to make comparisons and contrasts with - Multimedia
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government