Use of consolidated time-lapse camera imagery to detect and monitor platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) activity

Simon Roberts; Melody Serena

doi:10.1071/AM23045

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Use of consolidated time-lapse camera imagery to detect and monitor platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) activity

Simon Roberts ^A and Melody Serena ^B ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Upper Huon Wildlife Monitoring Landcare Group, 91 Lords Road, Pelverata, Tas. 7150, Australia.

^B Australian Platypus Conservancy, PO Box 115, Campbells Creek, Vic. 3451, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: platypus.apc@westnet.com.au

Handling Editor: Ross Goldingay

Australian Mammalogy 46, AM23045 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM23045

Submitted: 16 October 2023 Accepted: 19 December 2023 Published: 19 January 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

The platypus is a challenging species to survey and monitor. We investigated the use of time-lapse cameras to detect platypus activity in a Tasmanian creek by deploying three camera models diurnally at a single site over 6 months, and deploying one model both nocturnally and diurnally at two sites over 12 months. Variation in camera attributes and settings (camera view angle, length of time-lapse intervals) contributed to a 10-fold difference in the mean number of platypus images recorded in a given behavioural sequence (or ‘event’) and an approximately 50% difference in median event duration among the three models. Results also varied between sites and at diel and bimonthly time scales due to pool topography, day length (affecting site illumination) and likely temporal differences in platypus activity and population size. However, even the least-effective camera model reliably captured ≥1 platypus image within the first 24 h of deployment at the two study sites throughout the year. Time-lapse cameras are a suitable tool to assess platypus occurrence and measure activity, as long as appropriate equipment is selected for the intended purpose and sources of spatial and temporal variation are carefully considered when designing studies and interpreting results.

Keywords: camera trap, Huon River, Kellaways Creek, non-invasive animal survey, platypus activity, platypus on land, platypus population monitoring, platypus reproductive timing, time-lapse camera imagery.

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