A standardized drone-based protocol for monitoring freshwater turtles.

ABSTRACT: Basking is an essential thermoregulatory behaviour for freshwater turtles, but accurately estimating basking duration is challenging due to the limitations of traditional survey methods. Traditional methods afford lower detection probabilities, are often disruptive, and lack precision due to infrequent sampling. To address these limitations, we developed a high-frequency drone-based monitoring method that records repeated, minimally invasive video surveys of individually marked painted turtles (Chrysemys picta). The method involves three main elements:•Programming an autonomous drone route at fixed, short intervals covering the entire study area•Recording drone videos to document turtles basking without altering their behaviour•Manually reviewing video footage to quantify basking oc

SUBMITTER: Dobie L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12824910 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature