amphibian tracking

Suitability of radio telemetry for monitoring two New Zealand frogs (Leiopelma archeyi and L. hamiltoni)

The miniaturisation of very high frequency transmitters over the last 20 years has allowed researchers to use radio telemetry to study the movements and behaviors of increasingly smaller animals. However, the sensitive skin of many amphibians has continued to make fitting telemetry packages difficult. Here we describe the application of a waist-harness style radio telemetry package for use on two of New Zealand’s native terrestrial frogs (Leiopelma archeyi and L. hamiltoni).