Does anyone have experience with external GPS trackers for large snakes? I've scanned through the literature but all most all studies are on smaller species and for a short period of time. We're looking into options for tracking a population of Green Anacondas, which reside in a clear water river system. The species are semi-aquatic and move through aquatic vegetation a lot, plus they're constrictors (both provide some challenges for external trackers). However, implanted VHF trackers are more challenging for this particular study because of logistical issues. Any suggestions would be super helpful!
24 January 2025 3:18pm
Hi @RuSomaweera I haven't tracked snakes and would be interested to hear about any appropriate approaches too! I found this paper you might've already seen by Christensen et al. (2024) discussing attachment methods for snakes more generally (from my quick scan, I don't think it covers species such as anacondas in great detail though). Only one study that used an external GPS system met the reviwers inclusion criteria (by Gerke et al. 2021), which appeared to involved duct tape and super glue and this device from Ecotone. There's a picture on page 547 of the article. It looks as if the tracking times averaged 19 days and ranged from 10-28 days. Perhaps a more flexible and water-ready variant of this might be something like a neoprene 'sleeve' that can be fitted around the body of the snake with the GPS device attached to the sleeve? And perhaps some sort of medical-grade silicone adhesive would be better able to stick to the snakes skin? I am not sure if it would be appropriate or not, but I found this article discussing a type of medical silicone called 'BioAdheSil'. Perhaps you could discuss it with the authors? Anyway, looking forward to other responses and information you gather!
Cheers,
Rob
13 February 2025 10:40pm
Not with GPS; however, we could set up a node grid where you can localize their movement within the grid space. I don't know how much a snake moves though, so that would have to be taken into account of course.
CTT Node™ Version 3.0 with dual frequencies (note: power source sold s – Cellular Tracking Technologies
The new CTT Node 3.0 is the next evolution in radio telemetry, while providing consistency for those already using nodes in their research. You spoke, and we listened. While previous nodes worked incredibly well in areas where full sun was plentiful, having the solar panel directly atop the case has its limitations.
Rob Appleby
Wild Spy