2018 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 41-47
We evaluated the observation capability of the GPS-Argos system. GPS positioning data was obtained through the Argos-satellite to track sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Japanese mountain areas. The amount of data sent from forested areas was smaller than that from non-forested areas (mainly farmland). Seven deer with GPS-Argos collars with two-hour positioning intervals of 32–333 days were used for this study. The acquisition rate was 53.1–90.7%. Using only positioning-succeeded data, the rate was 34.1–58.3%. These rates are at similar levels to research conducted outside of Japan. The GPS-Argos system is applicable to deer tracking in Japan, especially for data taken on farmlands during signal communication from the Argos-satellite.
