A drone-based survey for large, basking freshwater turtle species

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Conservation biology
• Remote sensing

Background:

• Freshwater turtle populations face increasing conservation concerns, necessitating effective research methods.
• Traditional sampling techniques are often time-consuming, invasive, and prone to bias, limiting data collection.
• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) present a promising alternative for wildlife surveys due to efficiency and minimal invasiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a protocol for surveying large freshwater turtle species using UAVs in an arid riverine environment.
• To assess the efficacy of drone-based surveys for detecting Pseudemys gorzugi and other sympatric species.
• To provide a guideline for implementing drone technology in freshwater turtle research.

Main Methods:

• A detailed protocol was developed for surveying freshwater turtles using a DJI Matrice 600 Pro drone and a SONY ILCE α6000 camera.
• Surveys were conducted across 42 sites in southwestern Texas, USA.
• Photographs and video data were analyzed for species identification and occurrence.

Main Results:

• The study demonstrated high identification percentages for large freshwater turtle species using the drone and high-resolution camera.
• The UAV-based protocol proved effective in an arid, riverine landscape.
• Advantages and challenges of drone surveys were identified, with protocol refinements suggested.

Conclusions:

• UAVs are a highly effective tool for surveying large freshwater turtle species, offering significant advantages over traditional methods.
• The developed protocol provides a valuable guideline for researchers utilizing drone-mounted cameras for wildlife surveys.
• Drone technology has substantial potential to advance freshwater turtle conservation research and monitoring efforts.