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Camera Trap Overview, Types & Features Camera Trap www.ZSL.org emai: 19/03/2016 [email protected] Camera Trap Overview, Types & Camera Trap Overview, Types & Features Features Rajan Amin, Lucy Tallents & Tim Wacher Drs Rajan Amin, Lucy Tallents & Tim Wacher Specific Learning Objectives To introduce camera trap technology including camera types and operational features for use in animal population surveys Intellectual property rights belong to the authors. None of the information contained herein should be used, in whole or in part, for distribution or presentation without prior consent of the authors Camera types Deer Cam Reconyx $50-100 $450-650 film digital Camera types Moultrie Buckeye $65-100 $800-1500 digital digital Wirelessly downloads to base station or laptop How do they work? How do they work? Non-triggered Triggered • Time lapse • Different triggers • Continuous recording – Mechanical • Used in: . Baited traps – Animal behaviour (e.g. nest . Weight ecology) – Animals in open spaces . Shore birds . Grazing animals, water holes – Infrared . Seals, penguins . Passive . Active • Require more power (depending on Passive trigger (PIR) the application) Active trigger – External power source • Infrared beam – Solar power • Some commercial cameras can be setup in both operation modes • Heat in motion (but • Mechanical lever • Require more storage & processing reptiles?) – Lots of images • Trip wire – Video • Pressure-activated ©ZSL/author 1 www.ZSL.org emai: 19/03/2016 [email protected] How do they work? How do they work? “passive” camera system triggered by body heat and movement as the animal passes in front of the sensor PIR sensor Detection zone Passive Infra-red (PIR) sensor Detection zone • Heat-in-motion detector • Area in which sensor is able to detect the target • Optimum detection is where the temperature difference between target and background > 2.7 • Important feature and not degrees C. and can be unreliable when the necessarily = camera FOV ambient temp falls within the temp range of most • Detection zone varies between mammals (31.5-36.5 C) camera models (15.8 – 324,1 m2) • Detector can be triggered by the movement of • Camera with narrow detection pockets of hot air or by vegetation moving in the zone usually have fast trigger detection zone speeds – Problem can be limited by avoiding camera • Can be increased to some extent pointing to area under sun incidence by moving the camera further away from the target which can compensate for slow trigger speed. Trigger speed Trigger speed Trigger speed (or “trigger delay”) • Rapidity with which the camera captures an image relative to when the sensor detects the passing target • Critical feature – A “fast” trigger speed (< 1 s) increases recording of targets; slow trigger speed may result in missing targets – A slow trigger speed can be compensated for by a wide detection zone – A fast trigger speed may be less necessary if target is attracted to a bait / feeding station ©ZSL/author 2 www.ZSL.org emai: 19/03/2016 [email protected] Sensitivity Infra-red vs white flash Infra-red flash • Adjust the heat sensitivity threshold to adapt the • Majority of cameras with IR flash sensor’s responsiveness to the target • Monochrome pictures at night • Generally high sensitivity is better to detect – Usually lower quality and resolution than day- small-sized animals also in high temperature time (species identification sometimes difficult) environments where temperature gradients used • Use less energy -> longer battery life to trigger the camera are lower • Faster trigger speed and multiple pictures per • However, high sensitivity will increase chance of trigger misfiring particularly by moving vegetation and – No need to recharge as in the case of white when sunrays hit the target site flash • Minimise spooking of animals and limit risk of theft (covert) Infra-red vs white flash Number of photos/videos White flash • Full colour at night • Most infrared flash cameras are capable of – Fundamental when shard and colour taking bursts of images in rapid sequence or pictures are needed at night video useful for • Can disturb the animals – animal identification • Xenon gas flashes not capable of – behavioural studies and specific research taking photo bursts due to recharge needs time of flash • However for video, data handling is more time • Xenon gas flashes outperform white consuming, memory cards are filled up faster LED flashes with clear and sharp and power consumption is greater images • Consumes more battery power than infrared flash Image resolution & clarity Batteries • Majority of cameras take medium to high Alkaline resolution images • Cheaper • But sharpness and clarity of colour images is • Non-rechargeable more important for individual ID and species for some especially sympatric species with similar • Start at 1.6V and discharge quicker than morphological features Lithium and NiMH batteries • No of pixels is often larger than real due to pixel interpolation. – Flash strength (and thus detection range) decreases over time • Increase in pixel no is often accompanied by increase in digital noise and chromatic • Negatively affected by cold weather aberrations – Lose up to half their capacity in <0°C • Plus the higher the image true resolution the slower the shutter speed • Not eco-friendly ©ZSL/author 3 www.ZSL.org emai: 19/03/2016 [email protected] Batteries Batteries Lithium Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMh) • Not so cheap • Most expensive • Rechargeable (successor of Ni-Cad) • Non-rechargeable – No loss of capacity if fully discharged through 2-3 charging cycles • Start at 1.8V, decreases from first use – Can be recharged 100’s of times – Flash strength (and thus detection range) is • Lower voltage than alkaline and lithium batteries (1.2V-1.4V when fully charged) higher at first use – reduce camera trap run time and might alter camera • Not negatively affected by cold weather performance • Not negatively affected by cold weather • Not eco-friendly but most preferred for their • Most eco-friendly high-power output and resilience but most • Lower battery life expensive overall Batteries Batteries External power sources General stuff • A number of camera models have an • Always use the camera manufacturer input jack for connecting external recommended battery type batteries or small solar panels • Never mix battery types in a camera • Higher capacity lead-acid batteries can • Don’t mix used and new batteries in a camera be used to prolong deployment especially in areas difficult to get to for • Disposal –> take them back with you!! servicing cameras Camera housing Additional features • Water and insect proof features are essential in extreme weather conditions • Temperature especially in the tropics (high heat and • Moon phase humidity) • Time-lapse in combination with • Metal casing with python locks to protect motion triggered allowing test image against damage by large animals and theft to be taken as specified time • The weight and size of camera can also be important in many deployments • Housing should allow easy attachment to trees including replacing batteries and cards without having to move camera ©ZSL/author 4 www.ZSL.org emai: 19/03/2016 [email protected] Camera failure/poor images Environmental factors • Usually a combination of weather, user experience and skill • Rain and humidity can affect functioning of (position and programming), damage by animals, theft, cameras and restrict deployment and servicing of poor equipment cameras in certain seasons • Trigger mechanism malfunctioning • Cameras are at risk from animal damage. Insect • Pictures don’t contain any animals ->False triggers intrusion can be a problem. Elephants can frequently damage cameras Social factors Choosing a camera • Human vandalism and theft can be an issue. • Huge difference in performance between • Cameras need to be robust and camera protective cases, environmental conditions, so be careful use of dessicant sacs, security locking devices, cryptic • Difficult to choose, but many reviews available positioning and camouflaging of cameras are possible countermeasures against these problems • Ask people with experience • Agreement and support from local communities is often – But not many have experience using many required to conduct surveys models! • Photographic sampling is often required over difficult terrain and large areas. Deploying cameras can demand travel to remote locations and often involving setting up, servicing and retrieving cameras on foot in difficult conditions. Appropriately trained local staff are therefore essential Choosing a camera • www.trailcampro.com A website devoted to evaluating performance of camera traps –Price –Trigger time –Detection width –Recovery time –Sensor range –Flash range –Battery life ©ZSL/author 5.
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