Camera Traps Can Be Heard and Seen by Animals

Title
Camera Traps Can Be Heard and Seen by Animals
Publication Date
2014
Author(s)
Meek, Paul
Ballard, Guy-Anthony
Fleming, Peter
Schaefer, Michael T
Williams, Warwick
Falzon, Gregory
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1989-9357
Email: gfalzon2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:gfalzon2
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0110832
UNE publication id
une:16224
Abstract
Camera traps are electrical instruments that emit sounds and light. In recent decades they have become a tool of choice in wildlife research and monitoring. The variability between camera trap models and the methods used are considerable, and little is known about how animals respond to camera trap emissions. It has been reported that some animals show a response to camera traps, and in research this is often undesirable so it is important to understand why the animals are disturbed. We conducted laboratory based investigations to test the audio and infrared optical outputs of 12 camera trap models. Camera traps were measured for audio outputs in an anechoic chamber; we also measured ultrasonic (n = 5) and infrared illumination outputs (n = 7) of a subset of the camera trap models. We then compared the perceptive hearing range (n = 21) and assessed the vision ranges (n = 3) of mammals species (where data existed) to determine if animals can see and hear camera traps. We report that camera traps produce sounds that are well within the perceptive range of most mammals' hearing and produce illumination that can be seen by many species.
Link
Citation
PLoS One, 9(10), p. 1-16
ISSN
1932-6203
Start page
1
End page
16

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