Western Painted Turtle U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Western painted turtles need marshy ponds, small lakes, slow-moving streams and quiet off-channel portions of rivers. They prefer waters with muddy bottoms with aquatic vegetation. Open ground for nesting and logs for basking help keep this species healthy.

These painted turtles occur in the Blue Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions. In the Columbia Plateau, East Cascades and West Cascades ecoregions, they live only along the Columbia River.
Fun fact: While hatchlings are only about the size of a quarter, individuals can live 20 years or more.

To learn how to help, visit the Native Turtles website.

Western Pond Turtle - Photo by Al St.John-

Pond turtles prefer marshes, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. They need sparse vegetation nearby for digging nests and like to bask on logs.

They can be found in the Coast Range, East Cascades, Klamath Mountains, West Cascades and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Population declines are due to habitat loss, degradation of nesting areas by invasive plants, competition from non-native turtles and disease. Predators include raccoons and invasive bullfogs and fish.

To learn how to help, visit the Native Turtles website.

Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea

Pacific Coast Aquatic Garter Snake Thamnophis atratus

Three species of garter snake occur in the Willamette Valley. Much variability in coloration exists in garter snakes but the best identifying characteristic is a stripe down the middle of the snake's back. No other snake species in western Oregon has a stripe down the middle.