Kanuku Mountains Expedition Day 6

Zack and Jan set up the camera trap.

A string net set up in the forest.

If Alice had just had one of our camera traps, that Cheshire cat wouldn't have stood a chance. These cameras are sensitive to heat and motion, so when a large mammal, say, a jaguar or a peccary walks in front of it, the camera takes just 0.6 seconds to go off. There is no escape for even the fastest animal! Now, most animals do not seek fame and photo-ops, so we have to bait them by using curious smells. Skunk odor is the most popular, followed closely by a variety of urines. Mmmmmm… doesn't that make you want to have your picture taken?

ARTICLE: On the Trail of the Tiger

Of rats and bats: Bats are caught in these string nets, so fine that even their sonar can't pick it up. The only problem is that sometimes other things in the forests can't see them either: beetles, birds, and the occasional field assistant walk into the nets, become tangled up and sometimes have to be cut out, which ruins the nets.

LEARN MORE: Learn more about camera traps or see some photos from a camera trap.

Rodents and marsupials (like opossums) are caught in these metal "Sherman" and "Tomahawk" traps. Scientists hope that by baiting them with a little sunflower seed, ripe banana, or the random rotting sardine, the traps will become the most popular night spot in town. That is, until they snap shut! Both of these traps are "live traps" meaning that the animal is trapped, but not harmed, and can be released back into the wild with no problems.

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