Animal Tracking | How Scientists Track Wildlife

Описание: Future Zoologist Academy is a virtual zoology and ecology program for kids who love animals. Explore the complete Animal Tracking lesson using the link below.

https://futurezoologistacademy.com/le...

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Do you ever wonder what wildlife is doing when no one is looking? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, lots of people wonder, including scientists who have develops lots of different ways to track animals to see what they’re up to.


We track animals to see where they’re going and what they are doing. This helps us protect them!

We can learn what part of the environment they are using, how rare or populous they are, what time of day they are active, what they are eating, if they are alone or in a group, and make observations about their behaviors!


There are many ways to track animals, It depends on the animal and what we are trying to learn.

Some tracking methods tell us more than other methods.

Satellite tracking:
~Uses satellites in space to tell us where the animal is at any given time
~This involves attaching a tracking device to the animal and using satellites to capture information about the animal’s location.

Pros:
We don’t have to be near the animal to see where they are

Cons:
They animal must be captured, sometimes more than once
The trackers can sometimes be large and can only be used on larger animals
The battery won’t last forever
Somethings block transmission, like going underground


Radio tracking:
~Uses radio signals to find the animals location
~This involves attaching a transmitter that sends out radio signals to the animal
~Scientists use a receiver to pick up the signals
~The receiver beeps loudest in the direction of the animal, then they follow it!

Pros:
Transmitters are smaller than satellite tags
Many are designed to fall off at the end of the study

Cons:
The animal must be captured
Scientists have to be close to the animal to track it
Signal can be blocked by going underground or in dense vegetation


Banding:
~Uses ID bands to determine where animals travel to and from
~Typically used with birds
~This involves catching the animal, banding it, and rereleasing it then recapturing them in the future to record tracking info.

Pros:
Bands are small and lightweight, can be worn by small birds
Helps us learn about their migration patterns
Allows us to collect physical data about birds

Cons:
Must capture the animal more than once
No guarantee we will catch the banded bird again in the future

Waterfowl
Songbirds


Camera Traps
~Uses motion sensing cameras to take photos and videos of wildlife
~This involves placing the cameras in the environment in locations where they will be most beneficial , letting them sit for weeks/months, and revisiting the camera to collect the memory card with the data.

Pros:
We don’t have to disrupt the animal!
Tells us the directions the animal is moving
Tells us what time they are active
Tells us if they are alone

Cons:
Sometimes it can be hard to tell what is in each photo
We have a limited view


Scat:
~Using an animal’s poop to track it
~This involves being in the environment where the animal lives to look for poop, collect samples, and analyze the scat!

Pros:
We never have to interact with the animal
If there is lots of scat, it can tell us if the animal was alone
It can tell us about their marking behaviors
It can tell us bout their diet which will tell us where they have been

Cons:
You have to work with poop
No guarantee you’ll find it
Animal poop can look similar between species


Prints:
~Using an animal’s footprints to track them
~This involves being in the environment where the animal lives to look for tracks.

Pros:
Tells us the direction the animal was traveling
How many animals were there
What animals are in the area

Cons:
Prints don’t last forever
Only works in some environments
Can be hard to ID



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