Painted Turtle Field Work

Round Lake, Idaho. The site of turtle observation and study.

Erin camping at Round Lake to study the turtles

Baby painted turtle

An adult painted turtle

Erin posing with a Leatherback Sea Turtle hatchling in Trinidad

Daily Field Work with Marmots

Pinecroft, one of our trapping locations along the urban gradient.

The field at Pinecroft. Marmots burrow in the rocks, sun on top of them, and forage in the fields

Example of cage placement outside the marmot burrows

A marmot popping up on a rock in the field at a more rural location, Riverside State Park in Spokane

A marmot in its vigilance stance

Marmot seen in vigilance at another site, High Bridge Park in Spokane, Washington.

Marmots will also forage in trees and can grip the tree branches to eat the leaves

We trap marmots in cages baited with apples, dandelion leaves, and ramen noodles, and flush them into a cone bag

After capture, we cut some fur for hormone sampling, and then we tag the marmots with a numbered ear clip

Cutting the fur for the hormone samples

Getting ready to release the marmot back to its burrow

Capturing a fecal sample

Dr. Addis reading and passing time while waiting for the marmots to take the bait

Our Bonding Trip to Palouse Falls State Park

The 198 ft drop that is the Palouse Falls

A marmot wedged between rocks on the cliff

Kirsten and Katie on the cliff above the plunge pool

The stream leading to the waterfall

Kirsten enjoying the natural beauty

Marmot footprint in the sand beneath the tree in which it was eating

Marmot exhibiting a behavior we call "pancaking" when it completely lays flat on a surface

Marmots approaching the park visitors for free food