Camera traps at northern river otter latrines enhance carnivore detectability along riparian areas in eastern North America

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• 作者：Casey J. Wagnon ^{cjwagnon@frostburg.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Thomas L. Serfass ; ^{tserfass@frostburg.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：Camera traps ; Carnivores ; Latrines ; Lontra canadensis ; Otters ; Riparian
• 刊名：Global Ecology and Conservation
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：October 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：8
• 期：Complete
• 页码：138-143
• 全文大小：703 K

文摘

We evaluated the efficacy of placing camera traps at river otter (Lontra canadensis  ) latrines (discrete sites in riparian areas where otters regularly deposit scats, urine, and anal secretions) to detect other carnivores occupying Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey, USA. We postulated that scents at latrines may serve as an attractant to other carnivores and evaluated this premise by using camera traps to compare carnivore detection rates (overall and by species) and richness (overall and for each survey month) between latrine (pan id="mmlsi1" class="mathmlsrc">pan class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S2351989416300737&_mathId=si1.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S2351989416300737&_rdoc=1&_issn=23519894&md5=83158d1dc659346ee885fbcd28f587a8" title="Click to view the MathML source">n=5pan>pan class="mathContainer hidden">pan class="mathCode">$n=5$pan>pan>pan>) and non-latrine riparian areas (pan id="mmlsi1" class="mathmlsrc">pan class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S2351989416300737&_mathId=si1.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S2351989416300737&_rdoc=1&_issn=23519894&md5=83158d1dc659346ee885fbcd28f587a8" title="Click to view the MathML source">n=5pan>pan class="mathContainer hidden">pan class="mathCode">$n=5$pan>pan>pan>). On average carnivore richness was about 1.7 times higher than that of a non-latrine, and mean richness was higher at latrines for all survey months. Likewise, the overall carnivore detection frequency was 3.5 times greater at latrines, and the detection frequencies for red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), northern raccoons (Procyon lotor), river otters, mink (Neovison vison), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) were greater at latrines. American black bears (Ursus americanus) and eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) where detected more frequently at non-latrines. Our study provides evidence that placement of camera traps at otter latrines may serve as a new and novel approach for monitoring carnivore populations in riparian areas.