Cargando…

The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints

Acquiring reliable data on large felid populations is crucial for effective conservation and management. However, large felids, typically solitary, elusive and nocturnal, are difficult to survey. Tagging and following individuals with VHF or GPS technology is the standard approach, but costs are hig...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Alibhai, Sky, Jewell, Zoe, Evans, Jonah
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342180/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28273159
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172065
_version_ 1782513122005745664
author Alibhai, Sky
Jewell, Zoe
Evans, Jonah
author_facet Alibhai, Sky
Jewell, Zoe
Evans, Jonah
author_sort Alibhai, Sky
collection PubMed
description Acquiring reliable data on large felid populations is crucial for effective conservation and management. However, large felids, typically solitary, elusive and nocturnal, are difficult to survey. Tagging and following individuals with VHF or GPS technology is the standard approach, but costs are high and these methodologies can compromise animal welfare. Such limitations can restrict the use of these techniques at population or landscape levels. In this paper we describe a robust technique to identify and sex individual pumas from footprints. We used a standardized image collection protocol to collect a reference database of 535 footprints from 35 captive pumas over 10 facilities; 19 females (300 footprints) and 16 males (235 footprints), ranging in age from 1–20 yrs. Images were processed in JMP data visualization software, generating one hundred and twenty three measurements from each footprint. Data were analyzed using a customized model based on a pairwise trail comparison using robust cross-validated discriminant analysis with a Ward’s clustering method. Classification accuracy was consistently > 90% for individuals, and for the correct classification of footprints within trails, and > 99% for sex classification. The technique has the potential to greatly augment the methods available for studying puma and other elusive felids, and is amenable to both citizen-science and opportunistic/local community data collection efforts, particularly as the data collection protocol is inexpensive and intuitive.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-5342180
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2017
publisher Public Library of Science
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-53421802017-03-29 The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints Alibhai, Sky Jewell, Zoe Evans, Jonah PLoS One Research Article Acquiring reliable data on large felid populations is crucial for effective conservation and management. However, large felids, typically solitary, elusive and nocturnal, are difficult to survey. Tagging and following individuals with VHF or GPS technology is the standard approach, but costs are high and these methodologies can compromise animal welfare. Such limitations can restrict the use of these techniques at population or landscape levels. In this paper we describe a robust technique to identify and sex individual pumas from footprints. We used a standardized image collection protocol to collect a reference database of 535 footprints from 35 captive pumas over 10 facilities; 19 females (300 footprints) and 16 males (235 footprints), ranging in age from 1–20 yrs. Images were processed in JMP data visualization software, generating one hundred and twenty three measurements from each footprint. Data were analyzed using a customized model based on a pairwise trail comparison using robust cross-validated discriminant analysis with a Ward’s clustering method. Classification accuracy was consistently > 90% for individuals, and for the correct classification of footprints within trails, and > 99% for sex classification. The technique has the potential to greatly augment the methods available for studying puma and other elusive felids, and is amenable to both citizen-science and opportunistic/local community data collection efforts, particularly as the data collection protocol is inexpensive and intuitive. Public Library of Science 2017-03-08 /pmc/articles/PMC5342180/ /pubmed/28273159 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172065 Text en https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) public domain dedication.
spellingShingle Research Article
Alibhai, Sky
Jewell, Zoe
Evans, Jonah
The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title_full The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title_fullStr The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title_full_unstemmed The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title_short The challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: An accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (Puma concolor) from footprints
title_sort challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: an accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (puma concolor) from footprints
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342180/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28273159
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172065
work_keys_str_mv AT alibhaisky thechallengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints
AT jewellzoe thechallengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints
AT evansjonah thechallengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints
AT alibhaisky challengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints
AT jewellzoe challengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints
AT evansjonah challengeofmonitoringelusivelargecarnivoresanaccurateandcosteffectivetooltoidentifyandsexpumaspumaconcolorfromfootprints