What does a successful telemetry study require (4 key requirements)?
- Good experimental design
- Thorough literary review
- Discussion with other biologists
- Strong familiarity with focal species
What are 6 ethical considerations you should meet prior to conducting a telemetry study?
- Peer and veterinary review prior to commencement
- Proper field procedures are followed
- Study animals should be impacted as little as possible by the transmitter
- Capture techniques should minimize stress to animals
- Transmitters should be attached in a manner to reduce impact on animal
- Public perception should be considered
Whip antennae characteristics, pros and cons
Characteristics:
- Most frequently used
- Omni directional
- Light strong, flexible
Pros:
- more uniform signal over a greater distance
- Can be attached to a collar to reduce damage
Cons:
- Subject to breakage
Loop antennae characteristics, pros and cons
Characteristics:
- Tuned to radiate maximum signal at exact neck circumference
Pros:
- Useful for species that could chew/pull whip antenna
- Wire loop may serve as both collar and antenna
Cons:
- Signal has limited distance compared to whip antenna
How do PTTS (Platform Transmitter Terminals) work?
- Differ from VHF transmitters
- More complex and larger transmission
- Repeated at longer intervals, received by Argos satellite
- Can transmit diverse data (temperature, activity count, etc.)
- Do not transmit animal location, satellites relay information
How does the GPS Transmitters work?
What data do they collect?
- Locates itself by receiving and triangulating signals from 3 of 26 possible satellites
- They collect locational and elevational data
When would you use the Wildlink transmitters?
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What are each of the following sensors used for: temperature, light, and activity sensors?
Temperature: Used to monitor either animals body temperature or the environmental temperature
Light: Used to monitor how much time is spent in cover or in a burrow
Activity: Measures pulse rates, either for activity studies or for mortality studies
What are the 9 rules for transmitter attachment?
- Treat animals with the utmost respect
- Use smallest transmitter possible
- For animals with cryptic colouration, transmitter should be as inconspicuous as possible
- Avoid instrumenting animals during their reproductive period
- Avoid putting any transmitter on any animal in poor physical condition
- Tag more than one animal in a social group, in case one tag fails
- Transmitters and their attachments should be tested on captive animals before being used on free-ranging animals
- Allow several days or up to one week for newly-instrumented animals to acclimate to normal behavior before collecting data
- Transmitters should always be tested before and after attachment to ensure they’re working correctly
How tight should collars be fastened onto an animal?
- A collar should fit snugly to avoid it coming off or chafing the animal
- Also loose enough to be comfortable and not interfere with panting or swallowing
What is the biggest concern with fitting collars on an animal?
- Getting caught in vegetation
when should expandable collars be used?
- To allow for growth in young animals
- Or species which undergo neck swelling
What are ‘breakaway’ or ‘rot away’ collars designed for?
- when the researcher is not planning on recapturing the animal or removing the collar
- Will break off after a pre-determined interval
What types of species are well suited for implanted transmitters (5 types)?
- whose necks are not well-defined (e.g., snakes),
- whose heads are smaller than their necks (e.g., male polar bears),
- which might be impeded by an external transmitter (esp. burrowing animals),
- which are sensitive to external attachment (i.e. amphibians),
- which are young and expected to grow.
What are the pros and cons of using implanted transmitters?
Pros:
- Much less irritating (if done correctly)
Cons:
- Limited range
- Expensive to implant
- Have to employ a veterinarian
What are the pros and cons of backpack attachments:
Pros:
- Good for only specific species
Cons:
- Potential for snagging
- Recommended to use other methods for other species
What are the pros and cons of adhesive attachments:
Cons:
- extra stress due to having to trim/clip feathers or fur
- Could affect thermoregulation or flight
- Aggressive grooming could remove
What are the pros and cons of Necklace backpack attachments:
Pros:
- Easy, quick to mount
Cons:
- Snags
What are the pros and cons of Eartag transmitters:
Pros:
- Favoured for large animals with changing neck girth
- Can range for over 3km given ideal conditions
Cons:
- Invasive
Aerial monitoring pros and cons
Pros:
- Efficient for scanning animals over large area
- Effective for locating large numbers of tagged animals quickly
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires good air conditions/safety
- errors can be large
Pros and cons of ground surveys
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Good for locating specific transmitters with known frequency
- Error can be minimal
Cons:
- Labour and time-intensive
- Actual sighting may require harrassment
How do the general uses of ground monitoring vary from aerial monitoring?
Ground monitoring:
- Animals that are slow-moving, sedentary, unwary, and/or
characterized by relatively short movements or predictable •
distribution.
Aerial monitoring:
• Animals that are larger, carry more powerful transmitters and move greater distances.
• Studies of migration and dispersal.
• Studies in rugged/inaccessible terrain
What is the most effective way to control for signal bounce?
- Take many bearings from several different places
How do you conduct triangulation?
- most accurate estimate of an animal’s location is obtained by receiving fixes that are closest to the animal and at 90o from each other
