Lightweight GPS-tags, one giant leap for wildlife tracking? An assessment approach.

ABSTRACT: Recent technological improvements have made possible the development of lightweight GPS-tagging devices suitable to track medium-to-small sized animals. However, current inferences concerning GPS performance are based on heavier designs, suitable only for large mammals. Lightweight GPS-units are deployed close to the ground, on species selecting micro-topographical features and with different behavioural patterns in comparison to larger mammal species. We assessed the effects of vegetation, topography, motion, and behaviour on the fix success rate for lightweight GPS-collar across a range of natural environments, and at the scale of perception of feral cats (Felis catus). Units deployed at 20 cm above the ground in sites of varied vegetation and topography showed that trees (native forest)

SUBMITTER: Recio MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3233555 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature