Introduction
The guiñas are small forest-dwelling felids found in Chile and Argentina, distinguished only by small, subtle black dots, making it difficult to tell one cat from another. However, a recent study suggests that a change in camera trap angle could open the door to a better understanding of their populations, with important conservation implications.
The challenge of counting individuals
Normally, researchers place camera traps at ground level to snap pictures of cats as they walk by. But telling one guiña from another from that angle proved incredibly challenging. According to Nicholas Galvez, an associate professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, "One of the fundamental questions in ecology is always how many individuals are there or what are the densities. Sometimes that sounds like a very easy question, but it’s actually really difficult to answer in the field, especially with a species so small and cryptic".
An innovative solution
To solve that problem, Galvez and his team switched their cameras to point downward, in a "zenith" position, attaching them to tree branches and poles in a temperate forest in Chile’s Reñihué Valley, in northern Patagonia. That switch enabled the scientists to identify 12 individuals based on their unique markings on their backs. The findings were published in the journal Oryx.
Conservation implications
Ilaria Agostini, a researcher with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council, said it’s exciting research. "For the first time, it seems feasible to identify individuals in this very subtly marked cat," she said in a video interview. The ability to identify individuals is crucial for understanding population dynamics and developing effective conservation strategies.
Conclusion
The change in camera trap angle may be a significant step forward for guiña conservation. With the ability to identify individuals, researchers can gain a clearer understanding of populations and develop strategies to protect these animals. Furthermore, this innovative approach can be applied to other species with similar characteristics, expanding our knowledge of biodiversity and promoting wildlife conservation.
Source / Reference: Mongabay