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Identification And Density Estimation Of American Martens (Martes Americana) Using A Novel Camera-Trap Method, Alexej P. K. Sirén, Peter J. Pekins, Peter L. Abdu, Mark J. Ducey

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Camera-traps are increasingly used to estimate wildlife abundance, yet few studies exist for small-sized carnivores or comparing efficacy against traditional methods. We developed a camera-trap to identify the unique ventral patches of American martens (Martes americana). Our method was designed to: (1) determine the optimal trap configuration to photograph ventral patches; (2) evaluate the use of temporally clustered photographs to determine independence and improve identification; and (3) determine factors that influence identification probability. We tested our method by comparing camera- and live-trap density estimates using spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models. The ventral patches of radio-collared martens were most visible when traps …