Tunnel monitoring
Froglife Ecological Services have over six years of experience in the monitoring of mitigation tunnels for great crested newts and other amphibian species. We have developed a unique and highly effective system using high frequency infra-red cameras to monitor the use of tunnels by all UK’s native amphibian and reptile species. Our technique is able to detect all movements of amphibians through tunnels at low cost thanks to our specially adapted computer script that can extract all positive images. FES has carried out successful tunnel monitoring across the whole of the UK including Essex, Kent and Yorkshire as well as in France and Portugal. A recent publication by Froglife and collaborators can be found here.
Our highly effective data recording enables us to identify the species using tunnels, age class, sex (where possible), direction of travel and percentage tunnel crossing rate and rejection rate, which is important for mitigation and translocation projects. We are also able to generate graphs showing the direction of travel of amphibians through tunnels. Currently, FES are the only company in the UK able to offer such a range of scientific outputs thanks to our unique data recording and analysis.
For further information please contact: kathy.wormald@froglife.org.
Tunnel data analysis
FES have many years of experience in analysing data collected in amphibian mitigation tunnels and producing high quality reports. We have worked with many clients from a range of councils and ecological consultants across the country analysing data collected from cameras in tunnels and demonstrating effective use by a range of UK amphibian and reptile species, including great crested newts. If you have data collected from tunnel monitoring that requires analysis contact the FES Director for more information.
Further research
Find out more about Froglife’s current research activities here