Findlay-Robinson Rachel, Hill Davina L
Institute of Science and Environment, University of Cumbria, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9BB UK.
Graduate School, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
MethodsX. 2024 Nov 7;13:103038. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.103038. eCollection 2024 Dec.
When studying wild animals, consideration must be given to potential detrimental effects of the study technique, particularly if techniques may affect behaviour or energy expenditure. Many small terrestrial species occupy cryptic habitats, the characteristics and locations of which may be poorly understood. To study these habitats, researchers must be able to locate them, but must also consider the potential for disturbance of the organisms and the impacts this may have. Here, we developed and tested a novel, non-invasive method of locating the cryptic hibernation nests of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagged hazel dormice . The use of a powerful PIT tag scanner combined with a systematic search technique resulted in the location of nine wild hibernating dormice. Camera trap recordings indicated no external dormouse activity following detections, indicating minimal disturbance. In addition, eleven PIT tags no longer inside a dormouse were detected on the forest floor during searches. This study demonstrates a non-invasive alternative to techniques such as radio-collaring for small mammals, and highlights potential uses of PIT tags in research beyond identification of individuals, particularly in understanding fine-scale habitat selection.•A systematic search method enabled location of cryptic terrestrial species•The use of PIT tags allows detection with minimal disturbance.
在研究野生动物时，必须考虑研究技术可能产生的有害影响，尤其是当这些技术可能影响动物行为或能量消耗时。许多小型陆生物种栖息于隐秘的栖息地，而人们对这些栖息地的特征和位置可能了解甚少。为了研究这些栖息地，研究人员必须能够找到它们，但同时也必须考虑对生物造成干扰的可能性以及这种干扰可能产生的影响。在此，我们开发并测试了一种全新的、非侵入性的方法，用于定位被动集成应答器（PIT）标记的榛睡鼠的隐秘冬眠巢穴。使用强大的PIT标签扫描仪并结合系统搜索技术，成功找到了9只处于冬眠状态的野生睡鼠。相机陷阱记录显示，在检测到睡鼠后没有外部活动迹象，表明干扰极小。此外，在搜索过程中，在森林地面上检测到了11个不再位于睡鼠体内的PIT标签。这项研究展示了一种用于小型哺乳动物的非侵入性替代技术，如无线电跟踪，并突出了PIT标签在除个体识别之外的研究中的潜在用途，特别是在理解精细尺度的栖息地选择方面。
• 一种系统搜索方法能够定位隐秘的陆生物种
• 使用PIT标签能够在最小干扰的情况下进行检测。
