Field testing a global positioning system (GPS) collar on a Japanese monkey: reliability of automatic GPS positioning in a Japanese forest

Primates. 2004 Apr;45(2):151-4. doi: 10.1007/s10329-003-0071-7. Epub 2004 Jan 21.

Abstract

A global positioning system (GPS) collar recorded the locations of an adult female Japanese macaque over a 9-day period in a habitat with mixed suburban and rural land-uses in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The GPS device acquired positions even in forested areas. The GPS data located the female mostly in forested areas, although the female had ranged through a habitat with inter-mingled fields, orchards, quarries, and residential areas. However, the GPS position acquisition rate was low compared to studies carried out on North American mammals. The GPS fixed a position in 20% of positioning attempts. When the collared female was tracked by radio-telemetry, almost all failures of the GPS to fix a position occurred in forest.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Geography
  • Japan
  • Macaca / physiology*
  • Research Design
  • Satellite Communications / instrumentation*
  • Telemetry / methods*
  • Trees*