Camera traps have allowed us to monitor butaan populations on
Polillo in a way never attempted for any lizard species before
. All of
our Trailmaster units are beyond repair and will cost $200 each to
replace. You can sponsor a camera trap on Polillo and get regular updates on what it sees, and even prints of the best shots.
We use camera traps to monitor butaan populations.We have tried many different models of camera traps, but very few are able to reocrd and photographs lizards reliably. The best model was the Trailmaster 550, which work well in the forest for about 16 months. Sending defective units to the manufacturer for repair has not solved the problems. In 2005 we had 17 working camera traps, currently we have none.
Camera trapping lizards might seem harmless, but in fact the electronic flash creates considerable disturbance. Young lizards ignore camera traps but larger individuals are scared away by camera flash and either do not return or find alternative routes to fruit!!For this reason we usually set camera traps without flash. Consequently, it can be difficult to recognise individual lizards because the pictures are dark. These problems are compounded by:
- Shedding patterns
- Differences in wet and dry patterns
- Differences in film exposure
Nevertheless, we have a good knowledge of many butaan in the population.
And a better understanding of social systems in these mysterious animals.
