Cats are known to like perfumes
and other scents. In order to attract more animals to
camera traps, field workers sometimes “bait”
them with scents.
WCS conservation biologist Carolyn Miller says this is the only photograph that shows a jaguar reacting to a scent. But even though the photographs caught only one jaguar in the act of responding to the perfume, data suggest that different scents can affect a camera's ability to catch sight of a jaguar.
Check out the chart below to see data of jaguar captures when traps are baited with different scents and then answer the field notebook questions below.
© WCS
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LEFT: Researchers holding
perfume that they will suspend above a camera trap
to try to attract a jaguar
RIGHT: This male is apparently reacting to the scent--Calvin Klein Obsession perfume--suspended above on the pink string and q-tip.
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Scent-lure Effectiveness Comparison
| Date |
Scent Type |
Trap Nights
(1) |
Jaguar
Captures |
Capture
Rate(2) |
| 1993-2003(3) |
no scent |
4093 |
87 |
|
| 2000 |
Sardines/CK Obsession |
51 |
0 |
|
| 2001 |
Sardines/CK Obsession/Other(4) |
268 |
12 |
|
| 2001 |
Mega Musk/Catnip oil |
46 |
3 |
|
| 2001 |
Pro's Choice/Catnip oil |
17 |
1 |
|
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(1) A trap night refers to a 24 hr period in which
a trap was active. Trap nights equal the sum of
the total number of nights each trap was active.
If 5 traps were active each night of the year,
then the trap nights would equal 5 traps x 365
nights = 1825 trap nights.
(2) captures/trap nights x 100 to standardize
(3) 1993-1994, 1998-2000, 2001
(4) as recommended by Boddicker
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Divide the numbers of "captures" by the number of trap nights and multiply by 100.
This will give you the capture rate for each scent. (jaguars/trap
nights x 100)
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1. Based on your analysis
of this data, which scent produces the highest capture
rate? How does that rate compare to the no scent
rate?
2. Do you think you have enough data to support
the conclusion that jaguars are more likely to go
to a scented trap than an unscented trap? Why or
why not?
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