Turtle Tracking

If scientists and researchers are studying the migratory patterns of box turtles and giant tortoises, then they need some way to track these reptiles and their movement. This is where GPS tags come into play. The same GPS tags that are being used by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in the Galapagos Islands are also being used on the Saint Louis box turtles.

But, exactly how do these tags work? These tags are made by a German company called e-obs Digital Telemetry. The tags have five main components: a GPS unit, an accelerometer, a memory chip, a radio beacon used for radio-tracking, and a wireless communications device. Because of the wireless communications device, the tracker is able to upload stored data to a handheld base station. The components of the tracker are all encased in a tough epoxy and then glued to the tortoise's carapace, or shell. The tags collect latitude and longitude coordinates every hour, while the accelerometer measures changes in orientation in three axes: left to right, up and down, and side to side. The overall idea is that these GPS trackers that are attached to the shell of the reptiles will hopefully give researchers an idea of tortoise and box turtle movements around the clock. 

Figure 1: Researcher attaching GPS tracker to the shell of a tortoise.

Figure 2: A box turtle with a GPS tracker attached to its shell.

Information from: GiantTortoise.org

Pictures from: Google Images