Performance of visual vs. software-assisted photo-identification in mark-recapture studies: a case study examining different life stages of the Pacific Horned Frog (Ceratophrys stolzmanni)

Autor(es)

Bardier, Cecilia ^{[1, 2]} ; Szekely, Diana ^{[3, 4, 5]} ; Augusto-Alves, Guilherme ^{[6, 7]} ; Matinez-Latorraca, Nicolas ^[8] ; Schmidt, Benedikt R. ^{[2, 9]} ; Cruickshank, Sam S. ^[10]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Inst Invest Biol Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600 - Uruguay

^[2] Univ Zurich, Dept Evolutionary Biol & Environm Studies, CH-8057 Zurich - Switzerland

^[3] Univ Tecn Particular La Loja, EcoSs Lab, Dept Ciencias Biol, Loja 073701444 - Ecuador

^[4] Ovidius Univ Constanta, Fac Nat & Agr Sci, Constanta 900470 - Romania

^[5] Univ Lige, Lab Ecol & Conservat Amphibians, Freshwater & OCean Sci Unit ReS FOCUS, B-4020 Liege - Belgium

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol, Campinas - Brazil

^[7] Univ Estadual Campinas, Lab Hist Nat Antibios Brasileiros LaHNAB, Dept Biol Anim, Inst Biol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[8] Univ Republica, Fac Ingn, CENUR LN, Ingn Biol, Montevideo 11300 - Uruguay

^[9] UniMail, Info Fauna Karch, Bitiment G, Bellevaux 51, CH-2000 Neuchatel - Switzerland

^[10] Swiss Fed Res Inst WSL, Zurcherstr 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf - Switzerland

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Amphibia-Reptilia; v. 42, n. 1, p. 17-28, 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The use of individual phenotypic features as non-invasive marks through photo-identification (photo-ID) has y advantages for individual-based field studies. However, since error rates vary between species, matching techniques, and image qualities, it is important to assess error rates to evaluate the reliability of photo-ID. We tested the performance of this method in the Pacific Horned Frog, Ceratophrys stolzmanni, a threatened anuran with a variable dorsal coloration. We compared the effectiveness of visual (i.e. human recognition) versus software-assisted recognition techniques (Wild-ID and APHIS), and assessed the potential applicability of these techniques to identify post-metamorphic individuals (froglets). The three techniques differed in their performance. The visual technique was the only one to produce type errors between pairs of images (i.e. matching images which are not true matching pairs), however it also produced fewer type II errors (i.e. not identifying true matching pairs of images) than the software-assisted techniques. For froglets, we found that similarity scores calculated by photo-ID software did not differ significantly between groups of froglets and older individuals, supporting the idea that colour patterns in this species remain stable after metamorphosis. The lack of type I errors and the substantial reduction in required time achieved through the use of software, make software-assisted techniques (particularly Wild-ID) a valid and convenient matching technique for C. stolzmanni. We propose that photo-ID can also be applied to froglets of this species, since the pattern at this stage appears to be as variable as in adults and maintained through life. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 19/03170-0 - Sinalização acústica, sísmica e visual: investigando a comunicação multimodal em anuros neotropicais
• Beneficiário: Guilherme Augusto Alves
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado