The secret lives of Canada lynx
Using a Fitbit and a spy mic, scientists have discovered new insight into the behaviour of the elusive Canada lynx. A by researchers from 看片视频 University, University of Alberta, and Trent University provides a first look at how miniaturized technology can open the door to remote wildlife monitoring.
鈥淲orking on one of the boreal forest鈥檚 top predators, the Canada lynx, we found that two different technologies, accelerometers and audio recording devices, can be used to remotely monitor the hunting behaviour of predators, even documenting the killing of small prey,鈥� says lead author , a Postdoctoral Fellow under the supervision of Murray Humphries at 看片视频 University and Stan Boutin at University of Alberta.
鈥淲e captured chases, screams of the prey as they were caught, calls of the prey as they escaped, and bones crunching, along with friendly and aggressive interactions between different lynx,鈥� says Studd. Hear the recordings in Studd鈥檚
鈥淎 lot of people want to know what wild animals do when we can't see them. The ability to continuously record their movements and sounds in their natural environment can provide insight into mating rituals, parental care, social interactions 鈥� even how individuals differ from one another or change over time,鈥� says co-author , a recent PhD graduate at 看片视频
According to the researchers, understanding the hunting behaviour of predators is key information for ecologists, providing insight into the wellbeing of an ecosystem.
鈥淯nfortunately, predators are naturally secretive animals due to their need to sneak up on their prey, which makes studying them and recording this information incredibly difficult,鈥� explains Studd. Their use of accelerometers and audio recorders provide two new, highly effective methods that can be applied to any predator to monitor behaviour and collect information.
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About the study 鈥淭he Purr鈥恌ect Catch: Using accelerometers and audio recorders to document kill rates and hunting behaviour of a small prey specialist,鈥� by Emily K. Studd, Rachael E. Derbyshire, Allyson K. Menzies, John F. Simms, Murray M. Humphries, Dennis L. Murray, and Stan Boutin was published in . This research is part of the Kluane Canada lynx project. Funding was provided for this project by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Weston Family Foundation, and Institut Nordique du Qu茅bec. DOI: |
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