Bree Putman

Bree Putman, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Biology at California State University, Long Beach, where she conducts research on urban herpetology and behavioral ecology. She maintains a laboratory (the BREE Lab) focused on studying how reptiles adapt to urban environments, with particular emphasis on Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) in Southern California. Dr. Putman also serves as a Research Associate at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and was formerly the lead organizer for the City Nature Challenge: Inland Empire.

Dr. Putman's research interests center on the effects of urbanization on reptile behavior, physiology, and ecology. Her work examines how human-altered landscapes, particularly those with irrigation systems, influence lizard thermoregulation, hydration, and activity patterns. She investigates how species like the Western fence lizard adapt to urban environments and whether they benefit from anthropogenic water sources. Her research also explores behavioral adaptations in post-fire landscapes and predator-prey dynamics in fragmented habitats.

Her current major project, the Cool Lizards in the City Project, is a collaborative effort involving 11 universities across Southern California that examines the relationship between urban irrigation systems and reptile ecology. This research is partially funded by RESCUE-Net, a network supporting student training in ecological research. Dr. Putman's work has received attention from the Long Beach Current, with features on both written and video stories about her laboratory's research.

Dr. Putman places strong emphasis on student training and mentorship. Her laboratory provides undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on experience in fieldwork, data collection, and ecological analysis. She has successfully guided Master's student Elmer Gutierrez through his thesis proposal on predation risk in burned habitats and color-matching behaviors in lizards.

Through her iNaturalist profile and community engagement, Dr. Putman contributes to citizen science initiatives and biodiversity documentation, particularly through her involvement with the City Nature Challenge. Her work bridges academic research with public outreach, helping to train the next generation of ecological scientists while advancing our understanding of urban wildlife conservation.