National Geographic Technology

Crittercams allow researchers to join the pack
Coyote wearing a Crittercam

Coyote 841 displays his temporary Crittercam collar

National Geographic's Crittercam technology is providing a front-row seat to the life of the coyote. These special collars have both camera and tracking capabilities that allow pre-programmed recording times and scheduled drop-offs. Never-before-seen footage has been captured from the coyote's point of view.

With this technology, actual visuals can be paired with telemetry (location) data allowing for the full study of many behaviors, such as how coyotes make the decisions they do. For instance, videos can indicate how coyotes approach roads, cars, people, pets, and even prey. These observations can further be paired with other characteristic behaviors identified at capture, along with the animal's genetics, to better understand individual variations within the population.