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1 March 2016 The Use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Locate Alligator Nests
Ruth M. Elsey, Phillip L. Trosclair
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Abstract

Coastal marshes of Louisiana provide nesting habitat for Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator). Helicopters are typically used to locate Alligator nests in remote interior marshes. We tested the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to detect Alligator nests on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Grand Chenier, LA. Three brief flights with a combined search time of approximately 25 minutes and 9 seconds were conducted in a single afternoon, covering 28.2 ha. While in the field, we observed 6 Alligator nests with the UAV, and later review of video imagery recorded allowed us to detect an additional 6 Alligator nests. The use of UAVs may be a useful tool for detecting Alligator nests.

Ruth M. Elsey and Phillip L. Trosclair "The Use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Locate Alligator Nests," Southeastern Naturalist 15(1), 76-82, (1 March 2016). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.015.0106
Published: 1 March 2016
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