Set AHDriFT: Applying game cameras to drift fences for surveying herpetofauna and small mammals

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe use of game cameras by wildlife biologists and managers to survey wildlife, particularly medium‐ and large‐bodied mammals, has increased dramatically. Previous attempts to survey small mammals and ectotherms have had limited detection success or were focused solely on a single species. We describe the Adapted‐Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT), which combines commercially available game cameras and traditional drift fences to survey reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. Across 4,502 trap‐nights at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA (Jun 2014 to Jun 2015), we recorded images for 2,523 unique vertebrate detections (2% unidentifiable) averaging 0.56 unique triggers/night. Using AHDriFT enables long‐duration surveys with high detectability while minimizing observer time. Guide‐boards increased terrestrial vertebrate image capture at minimal cost. During 1 year of usage, no mortality was documented using this camera‐trap system and field time was reduced by 95%, requiring only monthly visits of approximately 3 hr for 9 fence arrays to download images from the camera systems, compared with pitfall or funnel traps that require at least daily monitoring. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.