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Detection Dogs: An Effective Technique for Bush Dog Surveys
Author(s) -
DEMATTEO KAREN E.,
RINAS MIGUEL A.,
SEDE MARIANO M.,
DAVENPORT BARBARA,
ARGÜELLES CARINA F.,
LOVETT KEITH,
PARKER PATRICIA G.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2008-545
Subject(s) - wildlife , terrain , camera trap , geography , vegetation (pathology) , ecology , aerial survey , animal species , forestry , remote sensing , cartography , biology , zoology , medicine , pathology
Detailed ecological data on the bush dog ( Speothos venaticus ) have been lacking, since standard field techniques, such as camera traps, have had little success recording their presence. This study eliminates dependence on visitation rate and switches the focus to locating evidence (e.g., olfactory) associated with the species’ natural behavior and movement patterns. Over a 3‐month period, a detection dog located multiple ( n = 11, 4 confirmed and 7 potential) bush dog areas in Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest of Misiones Argentina. These positive results demonstrate that detection dogs can provide species‐specific data on the bush dog despite the rugged terrain and dense forest vegetation they may occupy. The ecological data collected using this technique allow effective conservation strategies to be developed, wildlife corridors and biological crossings to be designed, and species distributions to be examined.