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thermal imaging: |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330  View other posts by will |
Posted: 19 Sep 2010 Hi All You may remember a while ago I was speculating about whether TI cameras which use heat rather than light could be used to locate our cryptic reptiles in the field. Although reptiles are not homeothermic (constantly 'warm-blooded') they can warm up to temperatures above the background temperature by using behavioural mechanisms such as basking or flattening their bodies, to absorb heat by radiation, conduction or both. I managed to get my hands on a TI camera and took it into the field yesterday. Sure enough, it picked out a common lizard on a branch, as well as an adder on some short turf next to a hedge. However I doubt it will substitute for footslogging, fieldcraft and the human eye, for the following reasons: first, they can't see a reptile on an equally hot background - eg a warm tree stump (a lizard became invisible, for example, in spite of holding the camera within a few cm of it); also, although the heat signature of the animal was partly visible if it was hiding in dense vegetation, there was often too much 'noise' from hot twigs, leaves etc to allow the reptile's heat signature to be distinguished from the other hot items in the field of view. Oh, and they cost a few grand, too.. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how common lizards and adders were achieving a body temp at least 10 degrees above ambient, on a mainly cloudy day. Thermograph of lizard plus equivalent photograph of same lizard below, along with an adder. Cheers Will    |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 19 Sep 2010 very interesting will, cheers. tim |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694  View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 23 Sep 2010 HI WILL HOW MUCH DO THESE DEVICES COST/ KEITHLOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330 View other posts by will |
Posted: 25 Sep 2010 Hi Keith Apparently I borrowed a bottom of the range one, costing a mere 3 thousand quid... |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 26 Sep 2010 Will if I order a couple is there a discount  keithLOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
- thermal imaging |