Camera-trap survey to detect free-ranging domestic cats and other mammals in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park
Citation
Sanglas A, Palomares F (2024). Camera-trap survey to detect free-ranging domestic cats and other mammals in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC). Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15470/xqbah0 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-08-25.Description
The current data set provides all mammals, but more specifically free-ranging domestic cats, recorded during two camera-trap surveys performed using the same methodology in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park (Southwestern Iberian peninsula). The first survey, comprised between 2018 and 2020, was carried out for the study described in Sanglas & Palomares 2022 and included the deployment of 44 camera-traps. The second survey was carried out between May and July 2023 within the subproject "Feral Cats" of the SUMHAL macroproject, in order to estimate the number of domestic cats ranging within a natural park with a certain degree of anthropisation. For that, 28 camera-traps were deployed across rural and natural habitats of the park.Purpose
The dataset can be used to model distributions of mammal species, estimate the abundance of free-ranging domestic cats in rural and natural spaces with a human gradient and perform species presence-absence studies.Sampling Description
Study Extent
Both surveys were carried out in the Natural Park of Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, located in the western part of Sierra Morena (N 37° 59′ 42″, W 6° 52′ 23″), in south-western Iberian Peninsula. The park has a total area of 186,795 ha distributed in small municipalities of agricultural-forestry-livestock tradition. Its altitude range (460–1055 m.a.s.l.), and the annual rainfall variability (700–1000 mm) creates a large number of different habitats and environmental conditions. The study area is dominated by a medium-sized carnivore guild. The most common carnivore species are red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European badger (Meles meles), Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), stone marten (Martes foina) and common genet (Genetta genetta), in addition to free-ranging domestic species such as cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) coming from small towns and scattered cottages.Sampling
Camera traps were left at the same point for an average of one month during the first survey, and two weeks during the second, after checking that two weeks was enough to detect the majority of domestic cats moving in the surroundings of the camera. Cameras were separated from each other by a distance between 500 and 1000 m approximately. Between the two surveys, old positions were not taken into account, meaning that some positions might be very close to each other, but correspond to different sampling periods. Two different models of camera traps were used, Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Black Led during the first survey and Acorn LTL5310 during the second, similarly programmed to take 3 pictures per trigger at the minimum speed trigger available. Cameras were tied to trees or deployed using a tripod at 0.20–1 m above ground and set to distances of 2.5–8 m from baits. Camera traps were baited with dried cat food pellets placed in artificial feeding troughs (hand-made PVC pipes of 11-cm diameter and 50-cm long) and tied to trees with ropes in front of the cameras in order to maximise the likelihood of detecting all cats in the area.Method steps
- Pictures were sorted following the methodology of R package CamtrapR (Niedballa et al. 2016) in order to extract metadata (date and time of the picture). Consecutive pictures of the same species within a 30 min interval were considered as the same event unless individuals could be identified by their fur patterning (specifically domestic cats and dogs) or other features (injuries, marks, spots). Mammals belonging to domestic animal herds or other species of vertebrates such as birds or reptiles were not included.
Taxonomic Coverages
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Canis lupus familiarisrank: subspecies
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Cervus elaphusrank: species
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Dama damarank: species
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Erinaceus europaeusrank: species
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Felis catusrank: species
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Genetta genettarank: species
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Herpestes ichneumonrank: species
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Homo sapiensrank: species
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Lepus granatensisrank: species
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Lutra lutrarank: species
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Martes foinarank: species
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Meles melesrank: species
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Mustela nivalisrank: species
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Oryctolagus cuniculusrank: species
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Rattusrank: genus
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Rodentiarank: order
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Sus scrofarank: species
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Ungulatarank: superorder
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Vulpes vulpesrank: species
Geographic Coverages
Camera traps were deployed across Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park (province of Huelva; Spain).
Bibliographic Citations
- Sanglas A, Palomares F (2022). "Response of a mesocarnivore community to a new food resource: recognition, exploitation, and interspecific competition." European Journal of Wildlife Research, 68:51. - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01597-4
- Niedballa J, Sollmann R, Courtiol A, Wilting A (2016). “camtrapR: an R package for efficient camera trap data management.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7(12), 1457–1462. - doi:10.1111/2041-210X.12600
Contacts
Ariadna Sanglasoriginator
position: Research assistant
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ariadna.sanglas@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5419-8310
Francisco Palomares
originator
position: Principal investigator
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ffpaloma@ebd.csic.es
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4655-7205
Ariadna Sanglas
metadata author
position: Research assistant
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ariadna.sanglas@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5419-8310
Francisco Palomares
metadata author
position: Principal investigator
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ffpaloma@ebd.csic.es
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4655-7205
Ariadna Sanglas
author
position: Research assistant
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ariadna.sanglas@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5419-8310
Francisco Palomares
principal investigator
position: Principal investigator
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ffpaloma@ebd.csic.es
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4655-7205
Francisco Palomares
administrative point of contact
position: Principal investigator
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC
Avda. Américo Vespucio 26
Sevilla
41092
ES
email: ffpaloma@ebd.csic.es
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4655-7205