Image of Canis lupus by Gary Kramer, from US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Researchers have designed a computer program that can identify an individual wolf in the wild analyzing the frequency and amplitude of their howls. They were able to accurately identify an individual Eastern grey wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) with 97% accuracy using the program. This program is expected to be highly useful to wolf biologists and conservationists.
This program would certainly make camping more entertaining as well.
Source:
Root-Gutteridge H, Bencsik M, Chebli M, Gentle LK, Terrell-Nield C, Bourit A, Yarnell RW. Identifying individual wild Eastern grey wolves (Canis lupus lycaon) using fundamental frequency and amplitude of howls. Bioacoustics. In Press.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
An African wild dog (Lycaon pictus, left) compared to a spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta, right). Both photographed at the Bronx Zoo.
It never fails. Whenever I visit a zoo's African wild dog exhibit someone inevitably asks "Are those hyenas?", and when I visit spotted hyena enclosures I often hear…
tags: Mexican Gray Wolf, Canis lupus baileyi, Joel Sartore, National Geographic, image of the day
Mexican Gray Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)
320 (60 wild, 260 captive).
Image: Joel Sartore/National Geographic [larger view].
The photographer writes;
Still on shaky ground, the Mexican gray wolf, an…
Well, put a collar on me and call me a bloodhound. It seems that dogs aren't wolves after all. Darren Naish, of Tetrapod Zoology, discusses a whole range of recent literature and the arguments for and against in a truly excellent post.
The arguments against note the morphological and behavioural…
A Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), photographed at the National Zoo.
Impressive!