Hi All,
I'm working on a project that might require some tech work and as of yet am not a 'tech person' so have been pointed in this direction. It's a pretty common problem that some animals are too small for certain tracking tech; my study species is a lizard SVL 60-90mm, weight 6-11g. RFID came up as an option with studies using tags on very small animals such as wasps - though detection range was limited to around 3cm.
More context; we know very little about the species ecology as they are currently living in remnant, non-native habitat, and cryptic so hard to observe. We'd like to do a semi-wild experimental set-up in the field investigating which native habitat types they might be happy to live in if translocated - probably offering small patches of temporary plantings - and as they're known to spend most of their time below vegetation it's difficult to observe, and fluro-powder tends to get rubbed away/becomes difficult to follow in dense vegetation. Considering setting up some kind of detecting array that could monitor the movements of lizards temporarily fitted (glued) with small RFID tags; issue is largely what tech to go for and how effective it would really be, especially if the range is very limited? Can we just get a big aerial or cable-grid/strips similar to use in fisheries or is the issue all in the tag size? I've had contradictory chats with people about how the tech actually works and what is possible so I'm getting a bit confused...
Any insight welcomed, even if to say we're barking up the wrong tree entirely... thanks!
23 March 2023 6:42pm
Hi Emily,
Signposting a few other convos and resources that might be useful while we wait for some folks to chime in!
Vikram's work might be helpful, he's super lovely and I'm sure he'd be happy to answer questions or speak with you if you think it's a path to go down
If you decide to go down the RFID route, there are quite a few convos if you drop RFID into our search - here's one with lots of advice that might be helpful:
RFID Smart traps | WILDLABS
Hello, I am trying to find information on 'smart traps.' I am planning to transponder urban rats with RFID tags. To estimate population size using mark-recapture methods, I would ideally like to place 'smart traps' that will record if an individual has an RFID and release the individual if it does. Ideally, it would also have the ability to release any animals that are not within a certain mass range to avoid bycatch. I came across information from Sarah Knowles' group but wanted to see if there are any alternatives available. http://www.knowleslab.com/research/new-technology-for-wildlife-monitoring/ Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for your help, Caitlin Black
wildlabsnetI also swear there was someone in Kate Jone's lab who was popping tiny tags on locusts, @TaliaSpeaker who did that photo belong to?
Steph
Rob Appleby
Wild Spy
24 March 2023 1:06pm
Hi Emily, I think, as you've pointed out, the read range of any tag you use is going to be pretty small. For example, the tags from Sparkfun linked to below have a read range of about 'one inch'. Alternatively, given the weight of your lizards (soooo tiny!) you could potentially consider very small VHF tags like the LB-2X from Holohil. Looking at about 2-3 weeks of battery life, but it would mean you could potentially, more easily track their movements (for example). Happy to discuss and all the best for your research.
Rob
LB-2X - HOLOHIL
The LB-2X is the smallest and lightest 2-stage transmitter currently commercially available. It is designed for glue-on attachment to small bats, small birds and large insects. The lighter weight of this transmitter now permits the tracking of smaller species than
HOLOHILUltra-Small UHF RFID Tag Rain - 10 Pack
Description Includes Features Documents The 'Rain' ultra-small UHF RFID tags from Murata are really exciting because of their fantastically small size -- they're just a 1.25 mm square with a height of 0.55 mm! The tag's tiny composure makes it really well suited to attaching to small or organically-shaped objects with a little bit of glue or epoxy. So what can you do with a small RFID tag? Strapping one to the tip of a Nerf dart to tell if you've hit the target or sounding the alarm if someone removes a trinket from your desk is just the tip of the iceberg. These tags operate in the UHF (865MHz to 928MHz) band and contains a 96-bit EPC field that is programmable by the user. Using a reader like the M6E Nano with the UHF Ring Antenna will allow you to read/write multiple tags at a range of up to an inch! To recap, these tags are great for tiny close-range identification, just be sure not to misplace them or you might never find them again! 10x UHF RFID Tags 1.25 mm square by 0.5 mm height 96-bit user-programmable EPC field UHF band (865 - 928 MHz) Simultaneous read capable with compatible readers (like M6E Nano) 1 inch read/write range with UHF Ring Antenna Datasheet
sparkfunRob Appleby
Wild Spy
24 March 2023 1:15pm
Hi again Emily,
@tom_august just pointed to this PhD thesis in another post that could be of interest to you also:
All the best,
Rob
22 April 2023 3:14am
Not what you asked for (sorry), but if they are cryptic then a possible first step could be to deploy capacitive sensors everywhere, to get a sense of where they like to hang out and when. I'm thinking of TTP223 touch sensors attached to a data logger.
Stephanie O'Donnell
WILDLABS
Fauna & Flora