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An experimental assessment of detection dog ability to locate great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) at distance and through soil

Jayne Glover, Nicola; Elizabeth Wilson, Louise; Leedale, Amy; Jehle, Robert

An experimental assessment of detection dog ability to locate great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) at distance and through soil Thumbnail


Authors

Nicola Jayne Glover

Louise Elizabeth Wilson



Contributors

Christopher Walton
Other

Abstract

Detection dogs are increasingly used to locate cryptic wildlife species, but their use for amphibians is still rather underexplored. In the present paper we focus on the great crested newt (Triturus cristatus), a European species which is experiencing high conservation concerns across its range, and assess the ability of a trained detection dog to locate individuals during their terrestrial phase. More specifically, we used a series of experiments to document whether a range of distances between target newts and the detection dog (odour channelled through pipes 68 mm in diameter) affects the localisation, and to assess the ability and efficiency of target newt detection in simulated subterranean refugia through 200 mm of two common soil types (clay and sandy soil, both with and without air vents to mimic mammal burrows, a common refuge used by T. cristatus). The detection dog accurately located all individual T. cristatus across the entire range of tested distances (0.25 m– 2.0 m). The substrate trials revealed that the detection dog could locate individuals also through soil. Contrary to existing studies with detection dogs in human forensic contexts, however, detection was generally slower for T. cristatus under sandy soil compared to clay soil, particularly when a vent was absent. Our study provides a general baseline for the use of detection dogs in locating T. cristatus and similar amphibian species during their terrestrial phase.

Citation

Jayne Glover, N., Elizabeth Wilson, L., Leedale, A., & Jehle, R. (2023). An experimental assessment of detection dog ability to locate great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) at distance and through soil. PloS one, 18(6), e0285084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285084

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 16, 2023
Online Publication Date Jun 7, 2023
Publication Date Jun 7, 2023
Deposit Date Jul 2, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jul 3, 2023
Journal PLOS ONE
Print ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher Public Library of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 18
Issue 6
Pages e0285084
DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285084

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