Telemetry

Abstract

Radio telemetry is the use of radio waves to convey information over distances from a transmitter to a receiver. The system is used in primatology to rapidly track and find primates and to identify individuals, which facilitates data collection. There are two main ways of tracking primates with telemetry, their usefulness depending on the type of study conducted. Even though the use of radio telemetry can be very beneficial to researchers when collecting ecological and demographic data, there are some potential costs that have to be taken into careful consideration. In addition to the financial costs, primates can get injured during the capturing process or while wearing a radio collar, and possible behavioral changes may affect the data being collected.