Crittercam is a small package of instruments including a
camera
A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...
that can be attached to a
wild animal
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted fo ...
to study its
behavior
Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...
in the wild. National Geographic's Crittercam is a research tool designed to be worn by wild animals. It combines video and audio recording with collection of environmental data such as depth, temperature, and acceleration. The live feeds help scientists experience an animal's daily routines.
Crittercam was invented by
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others th ...
Greg Marshall in 1986.
[Greg Marshall biography]
Since then it has been employed in studies on over 40 marine and terrestrial animals.
History
The introduction of the terrestrial Crittercam made it possible for researchers to monitor the animals and their activity exactly when it occurred. Previously, the cameras could only record data and images for future playback once the camera was retrieved from the animal. When introduced in 2001 the camera was about half an inch in size. It had a resolution of 340 lines and is sensitive down to 3 lux. At this time it used a nine-volt battery for short term documentation of the animal's activities and a 1-pound battery to monitor for one week. The size of the battery continually increased as the duration of documentation did as well. Footage obtained from its use has appeared in program titles including "
Great White Shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...
", "
Sea Monsters
Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or tentacled beasts. They can be slimy and scaly and are ofte ...
", and "
Tiger Shark
The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...
".
The first depth gauge was invented in the late 1800s. However, it wasn't until 1964 that the first depth recorder was actually placed on an animal, a
Weddell seal
The Weddell seal (''Leptonychotes weddellii'') is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing ...
in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
. The next advancement in recording animal-borne imagery was made possible by a microprocessor that attached a video camera in a submersible case to a
loggerhead turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when full ...
. This case came to be known as the Crittercam. Marshall first conceived his idea of the Crittercam on a diving trip in Belize. During one dive he encountered a shark with a sucker fish clinging to its body. He then realized that if a camera could be utilized to replace the sucker fish, researchers could explore the environment and behavior of sharks without having to dive deep. He immediately began work on this idea, receiving small grants from the
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
to support his funding. He later secured a grant from the National Geographic Society and began to develop highly improved prototypes of his initial device that was strapped to the loggerhead turtle. These prototypes were successfully utilized on sharks and sea turtles. Since its production the Crittercam has been used to study the underwater behaviors of green turtles, humpback whales, blue whales, monk seals, reef sharks, and many other marine animals.
Attaching Crittercam
Methods for attaching the device vary with different species. In order to place it onto dolphins, whales and leatherback turtles special suction cups are used. Adhesive patches are used for seal and hardshelled turtles. Sharks are fixed with a fin clamp in order for the device to remain in place while the animals are swimming. Backpack-like harnesses are placed on penguins for attachment. Land animals like lions and bears are given Crittercam collars. Research and development are constantly being conducted in hopes of devising more advanced attachment methods. Marshall has stated that he was surprised to see how quickly animals adapted to having the device strapped to their backs. While initial statements, from Greg Marshall, claimed the camera did not negatively affect or disturb animal's natural behaviors in their natural habitats, he did admit that 40- to 50-pound penguins' dives are decreased by 20 percent in distance while wearing the harness. When employed on emperor penguins, the camera proves its usefulness by capturing their behavior below the ice of Antarctica's waters where no human would be able to dive and manually record because of the freezing temperatures. In order to ensure the safety of the animals, in case something was to go wrong with the camera, scientists are able to remove the device through a remote control.
Crittercam influence in media and popular culture
In 2011 the
Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration
Mystic Aquarium is a marine aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two U.S. facilities holding Steller sea lions, and it has the only beluga whales in New England. Special exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, an African pengui ...
opened a traveling exhibit, funded by National Geographic, called "Crittercam: The World Through Animal Eyes".
The periodical, ''
Insight on the News
''Insight on the News'' (also called ''Insight'') was an American conservative print and online news magazine. It was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate founded by Unification movement founder Sun Myung Moon, ...
'', published an article stating that a team of scientists, led by
Clyde Roper
Clyde F. E. Roper (born 1937) is a zoologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He has organised a number of expeditions to New Zealand to study giant squid, including in 1997 and 1999. He graduated from Transylvania Uni ...
, wanted to use the Crittercam to film and study ''Architeuthis dux'', the
giant squid
The giant squid (''Architeuthis dux'') is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around Trace ...
.
It was stated in 2003 that Crittercam had been attached to 41 tiger sharks, 3 dugongs, 3 whale sharks, and 34 turtles, all residing within Western Australia's Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef. The camera can dive with sperm whales 200 meters deep and even remain intact within a pack of killer whales.
A 13-part TV series premiered on National Geographic's cable channel on January 17, 2004 that showed actual footage received from animals equipped with the Crittercam.
Kitty Cam
Inspired by the discoveries made as a result of the Crittercam on the behavior of various species, National Geographic and the University of Georgia have begun work on a new study that monitors the behavior of domestic cats called "Kitty Cam". Kitty Cams provide a creative solution to answer widespread and controversial questions about the interactions and behaviors of cats in the environment. Discoveries have been made from their collaborative efforts that identify common factors that threaten the health of owned free-roaming cats, such as exposure to infectious disease. The Kitty Cams are fixed on a collar that is placed on the cats, like Crittercams on land animals. The cameras are very lightweight and waterproof and can even capture activity at night through LED lights. In Athens-Clarke County, Georgia sixty cats were equipped with the cameras and monitored while roaming freely outdoors for 7–10 days. The experiment has been repeated many times and has produced many results from differing areas and seasons. After the initial experiment, 55 cats produced usable results with an average of 37 hours of footage per cat. In reference to their hunting behaviors, the footage showed that 44% of cats in Athens hunt wildlife. The majority of animals hunted were mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. They concluded that free-roaming cats showed hunting behavior during warmer seasons. Common risk factors concluded as a result of the study were crossing roads, coming into contact with other cats, eating/drinking substances outside of the house, exploring drain systems, and entering entrapping crawlspaces.
The smallest animal yet to carry Crittercam is the
emperor penguin
The emperor penguin (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in length and weighing from . Feathers of th ...
. Information and footage from Crittercam was used in the
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
-winning documentary ''
March of the Penguins
''March of the Penguins'' (French ''La Marche de l'empereur'' ; ) is a 2005 French feature-length nature documentary directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The documentary dep ...
''.
At
Museum of Science (Boston)
The Museum of Science (MoS) is a science museum and indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts, located in Science Park, a plot of land spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live presentat ...
, there is an exhibit on Crittercam. The exhibit will soon travel to other museums. The exhibit allows people to participate in interactive displays and models.
References
* ''Crittercam'', additional feature on the ''March of the Penguins'' DVD.
External links
{{Commons category, Crittercam
About Crittercamat the ''
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' website.
Crittercam on cat Crittercam on turtleMaking a CritterCam for a Shark*
Cameras
Articles containing video clips