IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Eichholzer, A. | |
| Testing the applicability of pictures taken by camera-traps for monitoring the European wildcat _Felis silvestris silvestris _in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland | |
| 2010 Full Book | |
Information concerning cryptic species such as the European wildcat _Felis silvestris silvestris _is often difficult to assess. Relevant information about the presence of wildcats in Switzerland may have provided 681 cat pictures taken during lynx camera-trapping monitorings between 2007 and 2009 in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland. The applicability of these cat pictures required a correct identification of the cats as either wildcat or domestic cat _Felis silvestris catus _by phenotype characters. However, the accuracy of such characters is disputed. To assess the accuracy of experts identifying cats correctly on camera-trapping pictures, we created an expert survey containing 25 pictures of cats with known identity. Here we report that experts achieved low accuracy identifying wildcats, hybrids and domestic cats correctly on pictures by phenotype characters and that especially hybrids were poorly identified. Thus, the applicability of camera-trapping pictures is limited and other methods are needed. |
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