New tools in spatio-temporal grazing systems research

Abstract

Traditional tools for recording animal behaviour are expensive (e.g. Observer XT, Noldus Information Technology) and require the purchase of separate mobile computers to enable field observation. An alternative system has recently become available as a cheap application (app) for Apple I-Phone, I-pod and I-pad devices. The behavioural observation app "WhatIsee" is available for less than $20 and can be used on a the I-pod touch device which costs around $250 substantially cheaper than traditional alternatives. The ethogram is simply entered into the touch interface and monitoring can be undertaken as a continuous or discreet process. Data is collected as a text string (.csv file). Data output is achieved by connection to wifi network for I-pod touch. Using WhatIsee on the apple I-phone, which has integrated GPS enabled geo-referencing of the records. This has potential for confirming the distance between observer and the subject being observed if this is critical. Furthermore the GPS enables the I-phone to function as a simple geo-referencing field device for other data for example pasture species mapping.