Identification of Individual Foothill Yellow-Legged Frogs (Rana boylii) using Chin Pattern Photographs: a Non-Invasive and Effective Method for Small Population Studies

摘要

The ability to identify individual animals is a valuable tool in the study of amphibian population dynamics, movement ecology, social behavior, and habitat use. Numerous methods of marking amphibians have been employed including the use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, radio-transmitters, elastomers, branding, and mutilation techniques such as toeclipping (Ferner 2007). All of these methods are invasive to amphibians to some degree and can alter their behavior, decrease recapture rates, reduce survivorship, and even cause direct mortality in some cases (Ferner 2007). One of the least invasive methods of identifying individuals is pattern recognition using photography.