Camera trap
Encyclopedia

A camera trap is a remotely activated camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...

 that is equipped with a motion sensor or an infrared sensor, or uses a light beam as a trigger
Image trigger
An image trigger initiates the capture of single or multiple frames of a digital camera by analysing the signals of its sensor.For capturing and analysing of fast moving objects An image trigger initiates the capture of single or multiple frames of a digital camera by analysing the signals of its...

. Camera trapping is a method for capturing wild animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s on film when researchers are not present, and has been used in ecological research for decades. In addition to applications in hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 and wildlife viewing, research applications include studies of nest ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

, detection of rare species, estimation of population size and species richness, as well as research on habitat use and occupation of human-built structures.

Camera traps, also known as trail cameras, are used to capture images of animals in the wild with as little human interference as possible. In recent decades, with advancements in the quality of camera equipment, this method of field observation has become more popular among researchers. The major benefit of this technique is that it is a noninvasive way to observe animals in their natural environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....

 and this has led to its growing use in the fields of ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

 and wildlife research. Hunting has played an important role in development of camera traps, since hunters like to use them to scout for game. These hunters have opened a commercial market for the devices which have led to many improvements over time.

Uses of Camera Traps

Camera traps are extremely useful in that they allow the animals to be observed without disturbing them. The possibility still exists that the flash
Flash
-Book:* Flash fiction, fiction of extreme brevity* The Flash , ongoing comic book featuring the titular DC Comics hero* Flash , a 2004 science fiction novel by L. E...

 or noise
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...

 of the camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...

 trap might disturb the subject but any disturbance
Disturbance
In ecology, a disturbance is a temporary change in average environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem. Outside disturbance forces often act quickly and with great effect, sometimes resulting in the removal of large amounts of biomass...

 will be much less than if the actual researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...

 were present in the environment, wherein the sight or smell of humans might impact their behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...

. There are a variety of different uses for these devices; one major use is in observing the physical aspects of a research subject, such as height of specific animals.
Camera traps are also helpful in quantifying the number of different species in an area; this is a more effective method than attempting to count by hand every individual organism in a field. It can also be useful in identifying new or rare species that have yet to be well documented. By using camera traps, the well-being of animals in the area can be observed over time- whether individuals in a population appear healthy, as well as their survival rate over time (with species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 that having individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...

s that can be identified
Identified
Identified is the second studio album by Vanessa Hudgens, released on July 1, 2008 in the U.S., June 24, 2008 in Japan, February 13, 2009 in most European countries and February 16, 2009 in the United Kingdom. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics.One...

).

Camera traps are also helpful in determining behavioral patterns in animals, such as what time of day certain types of taxa go to a certain location
Location
Location may refer to:* Location , one of the five geographic themes and a specific position or point in physical space. * Absolute location* Content-location in HTTP headers: a Uniform Resource Identifier...

.
It cannot be stress
Stress
- Mechanical :* Stress , the average amount of force exerted per unit area* Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction...

ed enough that one of the biggest advantages of camera traps over traditional research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 methods, such as trapping or tracking, is that it causes significantly less stress on the animal.

Types of Cameras

The earliest model
Model
- Physical :* Physical model, a physical representation of an object* Scale model, a replica or prototype of an object* 3D modelling, a 3D polygonal representation of an object, usually displayed with a computer* Model aircraft* Car model...

s used traditional film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 and a one-shot trigger function
Function
Function may refer to:*Diatonic function, a term in music theory*Function , explaining why a feature survived selection*Function , or subroutine, a portion of code within a larger program, performs a specific task...

. These traditional cameras contained film that needed to be collect
Collect
In Christian liturgy, a collect is both a liturgical action and a short, general prayer. In the Middle Ages, the prayer was referred to in Latin as collectio, but in the more ancient sources, as oratio. In English, and in this usage, "collect" is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable...

ed and develop
Develop
DEVELOP or Develop may refer to:*NASA DEVELOP , a NASA Applied Sciences student program*Develop India Group, a independent newsletter*Develop , a trade publication for the video game industry...

ed like any other standard
Standard
A technical standard is an established norm or requirement about technical systems. It is usually a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices. In contrast, a custom, convention, company product, corporate standard, etc...

 camera. Today, more advanced cameras utilize digital photography
Digital photography
Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film...

, sending photos directly to a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...

 source
Source
Source may refer to:-Research:* Source text, in research , a source of information referred to by citation** Primary source, firsthand written evidence of history made at the time of the event by someone who was present...

, even though this method is uncommon it is still highly useful and could be the future of this research method
Method
Method may refer to:* Scientific method, a series of steps taken to acquire knowledge* Method , a piece of code associated with a class or object to perform a task...

. Some cameras are even program
Program
Program may refer to:* Computer program* Program , those executed by machines that are not computers* A synonym for patch, a synthesizer setting stored in memory.* The trade name for lufenuron, a veterinary flea control medication...

ed to take multiple pictures after a triggering event.

There are non-triggered cameras that either run continuously or take pictures at specific time intervals. The more common ones, however, are the more advanced triggered cameras that go off only after sensing movement and/or a heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...

 signature
Signature
A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...

 to increase the chances of capturing a useful image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...

, infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

 beam
Beam
Beam may refer to:*Beam , a construction element*Beam , the most extreme width of a nautical vessel, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length*A narrow, propagating stream of particles or energy:...

s can also be used to trigger the camera. Video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...

 is also an emerging option in type of camera traps, allowing researchers to record
Record
A recording, Record, Records or The Record may mean:An item or collection of data:* Gramophone record , mechanical analog audio storage medium* Record , a data structure...

 running streams of video, to document animal behavior.

The battery
Battery
Battery may refer to:*Artillery battery, an organized group of artillery pieces; also gun battery with similar groupings on warships*Battery , contact with another in a manner likely to cause bodily harm...

 life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...

 of some of these cameras are another important factor in which cameras are used; large batteries offer a longer running time for the camera but can be cumbersome
Cumbersome
"Cumbersome" is a song by Seven Mary Three and the lead single from their breakthrough album, American Standard. It was originally included on their independently released debut, Churn, in 1994. The single was released in 1996 and became the band's most popular and well known song...

 in set up or when lugging the equipment to the field site .

Extra Features

Weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...

 proofing for camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...

s has help
Help
Help is any form of assistance.Help may also refer to:In computing:* Help , a command that invokes documentations and helping information* Online help, documentation that accompanies computer application software...

ed to protect the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 from damage and even the cameras themselves. The cameras are often put into waterproof housing
Housing
Housing may refer to:* A House* Social or public housing* Enclosure containing some equipment or mechanism*House dance...

; these casings can also help in disguising the equipment from animals.

Noise
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...

-reduction
Reduction
Reduction, reduced, or reduce may refer to:- Chemistry :* Reduction, part of a reduction-oxidation reaction where oxygen is being removed from a compound.** Reduced gas, a gas with a low oxidation number...

 housing is helpful in limiting the possibility that animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s will be disturbed by the camera and possibly relocate. Sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...

 recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....

 is also another feature
Feature
A feature is a distinct property or piece, which may refer to:- Science and technology :* Feature is an intentional distinguishing characteristic of a software item ....

 that can be added to the camera. This is useful in recording animal calls and in noting the times when specific
Specific
Specific may refer to:* Specificity* Specific, a cure or therapy for a specific illnessLaw:* Specific deterrence, focussed on an individual* Specific finding, intermediate verdict used by a jury in determining the final verdict...

 animals are the most vocal.

Effects of Weather and the Environment

Humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...

 has a highly negative
Negative
- Science and mathematics :* Negative number* Negative mass* Negative energy * Electrical polarity* Negative result * Negative lenses, uses to describe diverging optics, see lens - Photography :...

 effect
Effect
Effect may refer to:* A result or change of something** List of effects** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causalityIn pharmacy and pharmacology:* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug...

 on camera traps and can result in camera malfunction
Malfunction
A malfunction is when something functions wrongly or does not function at all.Some types of malfunctions are:*Malfunction , malfunction of a parachute*Sexual malfunction, also called "sexual dysfunction"**See also dyspareunia...

.
This can be problematic since the malfunction
Malfunction
A malfunction is when something functions wrongly or does not function at all.Some types of malfunctions are:*Malfunction , malfunction of a parachute*Sexual malfunction, also called "sexual dysfunction"**See also dyspareunia...

 is often not immediately discover
Discover
Discover may refer to:* Discover Card, a credit card brand** Discover Financial, the parent company of the credit card brand* Discover , an American science magazine* Discover , a Cactus Jack album...

ed, so a large portion of research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....

 can be lost
Lost
-In cinema or television:*Lost , an ABC drama about people who become stranded on a mysterious island*Lost , a short-lived reality television program*Lost , an American thriller starring Dean Cain...

. Often a researcher expecting the experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...

 to be complete will trek
Trek
Trek or trekking is a long journey undertaken on foot in areas where common means of transport is generally not available. Trekking is not mountaineering; it is days of walking along with adventure.-Etymology:...

 back to the site
Site
A site is the location of an event, structure, object, or other thing, whether actual, virtual, abandoned , extant, or planned.*For a building site, see construction.*For a site on the World Wide Web, see website....

, only to discover
Discover
Discover may refer to:* Discover Card, a credit card brand** Discover Financial, the parent company of the credit card brand* Discover , an American science magazine* Discover , a Cactus Jack album...

 far less
Less
Less may refer to:* Less , a band from the San Francisco bay area* LESS , a dynamic stylesheet language.* less , a Unix utility used to view the contents of a text file one screen at a time...

 data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...

 than expected – or even none at all.

There is also the possibility, if it is a motion activate
Activate
Activate is an independent student newspaper at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.- History :Activate was established in 1947 as Rhodeo, and during apartheid became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union...

d camera, that any movement within the sensitivity range of the camera’s sensor will trigger a picture, so the camera might end up with numerous pictures of anything the wind moves (e.g., plants).

The best type of weather for it to work in is any place with low humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...

 and stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...

 moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....

 temperatures.

As far as problem
Problem
A problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal...

s with camera traps, it cannot be overlook
Overlook
A scenic overlook, or just an overlook, observation point, lookout or viewing point, is a high place where people can gather to view scenery , and to photograph it. Scenic overlooks are typically created alongside mountain roads, often as a simple turnouts where motorists can pull over onto...

ed that sometimes the subject
Subject
-Philosophy:*Hypokeimenon or subiectum, in metaphysics, the essential being of a thing**Subject , a being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity...

s themselves negatively affect
Affect
When used as a descriptor or adjective, affect means to change, and usually refers to an emotion or symptom. Affected, when used in a description, refers to fake or intentionally assumed behaviour , i.e., an affected accent...

 the research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

. One of the most common things is that animals unknowingly topple a camera or splatter it with mud or water ruining the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 or lens
Lens
-Optics:*Lens , an optical element which converges or diverges light**Lens , a part of the eye**Corrective lens for correction of human vision***Contact lens, placed on the cornea of the eye**Photographic lens, a lens designed for use on a camera...

.

One other method of animal tamper
Tamper
Tamper can mean:*Tamp, a device used to compact or flatten an aggregate or other powdered or granular material, like ground coffee or gravel*A tool used to pack tobacco into a smoking pipe, as well as to flatten or scoop the ash; usually nail-shaped and sometimes combined into a pipe tool*Ballast...

ing involves the animals themselves taking the cameras for their own uses. There are example of some animals actually taking the cameras and snapping pictures of themselves.
An interesting side note is that locals in the area of a camera trap who sometimes use the same game trails as the animals to move through the forest can be caught on camera. This adds to the human dynamic of the research and can make camera’s a useful tool for anti-poaching other law enforcement
Law enforcement
Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...

 effort.

Placement Techniques

One of the most important things to consider when setting up camera traps is choosing the location
Location
Location may refer to:* Location , one of the five geographic themes and a specific position or point in physical space. * Absolute location* Content-location in HTTP headers: a Uniform Resource Identifier...

 in order to get the best results. Camera traps near
Near
- Science, mathematics, technology, biology, and medicine :* Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction, a method for in vitro DNA amplification* Near-Earth object, an object in the Solar System whose orbit brings it close to the Earth** Near-Earth asteroid...

 mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

 licks or along game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...

 trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s, where it is more likely that animals will visit frequently, are normally seen. [7] Animals congregate around mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

 licks to consume water and soil, which can be useful in reducing toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...

 level
Level
Level or levels may refer to:-Places:*Levél, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hungary*Level, Ohio, United States*Level Valley*Levels, West Virginia-Engineering-related:*Floor, or storey, of a building or a mine...

 or supplement
Supplement
Supplement may refer to:* Dietary supplement* Bodybuilding supplement* Supplement, one of a pair of supplementary angles, considered relative to the other* Supplement * A role-playing or tabletop game supplement, see expansion pack...

 mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

 intake
Intake
An intake , or especially for aircraft inlet, is an air intake for an engine. Because the modern internal combustion engine is in essence a powerful air pump, like the exhaust system on an engine, the intake must be carefully engineered and tuned to provide the greatest efficiency and power...

 in their diet
Diet
Diet, in relation to food, might mean:*Diet , the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group*Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake*Diet food, foods that aid in dieting...

. These locations for camera traps also allow for variety of animals who show up at different times and use the licks in different ways allowing for the study of animal behavior.
However it must be remembered that camera traps are often used in sites that are harder to get to, hence the need for a camera trap in the first place. Often, a long hike is required to place the camera in the best position.

Another major factor
Factor
A factor, a Latin word meaning 'who/which acts', may refer to:In commerce:* Factor , a person who acts for another, notably a mercantile and/or colonial agent* Factor , a person or firm managing a Scottish estate...

 in whether this is the best technique
Technique
A technique is a procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task:* Technology, the study of or a collection of techniques*Skill, the ability to perform a task* Scientific technique, any systematic method to obtain information of a scientific nature...

 to use in the specific
Specific
Specific may refer to:* Specificity* Specific, a cure or therapy for a specific illnessLaw:* Specific deterrence, focussed on an individual* Specific finding, intermediate verdict used by a jury in determining the final verdict...

 research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 is which type of species one is attempting to observe with the camera. Species such as small-bodied bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

s and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s may be too small to trigger the cameras firing mechanism
Mechanism
Mechanism may refer to:*Mechanism , rigid bodies connected by joints in order to accomplish a desired force and/or motion transmission*Mechanism , explaining how a feature is created...

. Reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...

s and amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...

s will not be able to trip the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

 or heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...

 differential-based sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...

s, however, methods have ben developed to detect these species such (e.g., by utilizing a reflector
Reflector
-Science:* Reflector, a device that causes reflection * Reflector , used to control lighting contrast* Reflecting telescope* Reflector , the part of an antenna that reflects radio waves...

 based sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...

 system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....

). However, for most medium and large-bodied terrestrial
Terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.Terrestrial may also refer to:* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to in trees etc.** A fishing fly that simulates the...

 specie
Specie
Specie may refer to:* Coins or other metal money in mass circulation* Bullion coins* Hard money * Commodity money* Specie Circular, 1836 executive order by US President Andrew Jackson regarding hard money* Specie Payment Resumption Act...

s (e.g., big cat
Big cat
The term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able...

s, canids, etc...) camera traps have proven to be a successful tool of study
Study
Study or studies may refer to:* Research* Study , a drawing or series of drawings done in preparation for a finished piece* Study , a room in a home used as an office or library* Observational study* Education...

.

Unique Projects

Identification of any animal that has unique patterns through observing their unique spot patterns has been a major ground-breaking project that has brought this method of observation into the forefront. Setting up cameras on both sides of a game trail facing each other and simultaneously taking pictures from both sides allows the researcher to capture exact record of all the spots in order to identify the animals later.

Each jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...

 has its own unique spot
Spot
The common noun or verb spot has many meanings in English.Otherwise, Spot or SPOT may refer to:-Fiction:* Spot the Dog, a series of children's books adapted for animation* Spot , a character in 101 Dalmatians: The Series...

 pattern
Pattern
A pattern, from the French patron, is a type of theme of recurring events or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set of objects.These elements repeat in a predictable manner...

 that almost acts as a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

 fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...

. This aids in long term research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 by identifying particular animals and seeing how often they visit a particular area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...

. This can be especially important for endangered or threatened animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s when every individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...

 in the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 is integral
Integral
Integration is an important concept in mathematics and, together with its inverse, differentiation, is one of the two main operations in calculus...

 for survival
Survival
Survival is the struggle to remain alive and living. The term may refer to:- Companies and organisations :* Survival International, a non-governmental human rights organization working for tribal peoples- Literature :...

.

Another project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...

 that is using camera traps is when camera traps, set up by the International Institute for Environment and Development
International Institute for Environment and Development
The International Institute for Environment and Development is a London-based policy research centre and think tank.- History :IIED was established by the economist Barbara Ward in 1971...

 (IIED) and WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...

 Greater Mekong, inadvertently document
Document
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...

ed the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...

 Siamese Crocodile
Siamese Crocodile
Siamese crocodile is a freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia , Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam...

 using motion triggered cameras in the middle of the forest. This has lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...

 to the confirmation that conservation
Conservation
Conservation may refer to:* Conservation movement, to protect animals, fungi, plants and their habitats** Conservation biology, the science of the protection and management of biodiversity...

 efforts in this area have been affective. Camera traps have also been used to observe the nesting behavior of crocodiles, (e.g., how often nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...

s are visited, nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...

 guarding behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...

).

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK