ANIMAL TRACKING AND

GPS

Presented by
M.Lalith
Cse-4B
18841A0586
 Contents
1.What is animal tracking
2.Before radio-telemetry
3.Basic components of a radio-tracking system
4.Tracking method
5.VHF tracking
6.Satellite
7.Gps and animal tracking
8.Advances in tracking method
•Using radio tags to study the physiology, behavior, and demography of
animals
•Telemetry- the transmission of information through the atmosphere
usually by radio waves
•Before radio-tracking, the study of animal movements depended on
live-trapping and tagging animals and then hoping to recapture them
somewhere else

•Using color-coded collars that allowed observers to identify animals

from afar.

• Biased results
1. A transmitting subsystem consisting of a radio transmitter,
a power source and a propagating antenna
2. A receiving subsystem including a "pick-up" antenna, a
signal receiver with reception indicator (speaker and/or
display) and a power source.

Three types of radio tracking:

1. Very-high-frequency (VHF) radio tracking- 1963
2. Satellite tracking
3. Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking
Researchers can track animals in the field through:
• Homing (either by ground or aerial tracking)
• Triangulating(two person conflict to pull third person)
• Passive remote tracking is accomplished through automatic
tracking systems
Used for- location data, to tell if an animal is active (or feeding, walking,
running, resting) and the time spent in mortality from death until the transmitter
is recovered.
Microphone-containing transmitters allow researchers to listen to a creature's
vocalizations.
reasonable accuracy and relatively low cost
•Argos System- estimates a vector from a passing satellite to a
PTT (platform transmitter terminal) by the Doppler Shift of a
controlled frequency. If there are two or more satellites, the tag’s
location can be calculated
Satellite tracking- uses a higher-powered transmitter attached to
•

an animal.

•Ideal for- studying long-distance movements in remote areas

(marine animals)
GPS- uses a radio receiver (rather than a transmitter) in
an animal's collar.

Usage Types:
•store the data and drop off the animal when expired to

allow data retrieval

•others transmit the data to another set of satellites that

deliver it to the researchers

The ability to program radio-collars to transmit only at certain times ("duty
•

cycling") rather than continually. . For example, using duty cycling,

batteries in collars could now last 8 years or more. (VHF)

Reduction in weight of GPS collars- used on smaller species, add

•

batteries to larger specie collars

• GPS transmitters powered by solar cells are now available for birds

Condor
• Necks, large ears, or horns/antlers

•Expandable collars allowing for growth of young animals have also been applied
successfully to mountain lions, bobcats, black bears, white-tailed deer fawns

• Mammals with non-prominent necks (e.g. hedgehogs)- backpack harnesses.

Attachment methods for fitting transmitters to birds vary widely.
Examples include transmitters with whip antennas fitted to backpacks with attachment
loops under the wings ; loops meeting near the breast , or loops under the legs; loop-
antenna harness-chest packs; whip antennas adhered directly to tail feathers, collars,
neck band mounts, or necklaces, leg-band transmitters

Vulture chick
 Transmitter-fitted have been placed in penguin nests for remote activation to
capture the birds
Snake has been fitted with the internal transmitter
Tracking system
THANK YOU