About this Research Topic

Background

The miniaturization and affordability of advanced data logging devices continues to revolutionize our knowledge of the behavior and ecology of free-ranging wild animals. Data loggers can be used to record environmental parameters and/or internal conditions of an animal’s body that allow the deduction of complex behaviors, ecological patterns, and physiology. The physical modes that can be collected include temperature, acceleration, heart rate, heat loss, acoustics, speed, magnetic bearing, light, conductivity, and pressure and provide continuous data to deduct rest-activity patterns, energetics, thermoregulation, respiratory patterns, movement patterns, habitat preferences and numerous other aspects of a species’ ecology and physiology.

Advanced tracking devices followed similar trends of decreasing device size and reduced cost. GPS tags can be made small enough to track the location of small mammals like tree squirrels for up to one week at a rate of one location per 2 minutes. Migration locations can now be tracked by new tracker designs such as ICARUS that combine features of satellite tracking and data logging and a smart solar rechargeable battery. The Geolocator tag developed by the British Antarctic Survey reduces energy usage by deducting position from light levels at dawn and dusk instead of using energy intensive GPS requests.

This Research Topic calls for papers covering the entire field of data logging and tracking devices in the study of the ecology and physiology and behavior of free-ranging wild animals including papers on new and/or promising methods. We are mostly interested in case studies highlighting how these new technologies advance our knowledge of animal biology but we are also considering methodological and technical contributions. Our taxonomic scope includes all animal taxa, from arthropods and other invertebrates to vertebrates such as fish, mammals and birds living in both, terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Our collection is open to the following article types: Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Original Research, Protocols, Review, Technology Report, Mini Review, Perspective, Data Report, Opinion, and General Commentary.

Topic's photo credit: Dolphin Quest Bermuda. Photo taken under Bermuda Government Department of Environment and Natural Resources Scientific Research Permit No. SP160401r.

Keywords: Data loggers, accelerometers, GPS tracking, satellite tracking, free-ranging wild animal

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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