More than Fish – The Potential of Baited Remote Underwater Video to Assess Freshwater Herpetofauna and Dolphins

Abstract

We discuss new applications of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) systems based on recordings of Amazonian freshwater fauna during a long-term fish monitoring program in the Xingu River, Brazil. BRUVs facilitated estimates of relative abundance and frequency of occurrence for species of river turtles (Podocnemis unifilis, P. expansa, Rhinoclemmys punctularia), river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) and spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) in a variety of habitats including rocky rapids, submerged sandy beaches, an artificial reservoir and the Xingu Ria.