Hobbies And Interests
Rare Animals
Microcontrolled cameras -- infrared or otherwise -- are often used to capture wildlife. While they have many uses in the documentation of wildlife, one of the most exciting is photographing rare animals. Iif it is unknown whether a specific kind of animal lives in an area, a microcontrolled camera can probably answer the question. Not only can the the microcontrolled camera affirm the existence of a specific animal in a specific area, but it can also provide evidence of its absence. If an area has well-placed cameras for a long enough period, the animal's presence in that area may be excluded.
Animal Mixes
Microcontrolled cameras generally don't discriminate between what they photograph, so long as it moves or it's hotter than its surrounding -- though different cameras have different trigger mechanisms and most have sensitivity adjustments so you don't inadvertently photograph branches of a bush, for example, moving in a breeze. Variations in trigger mechanisms and settings aside, microcontrolled cameras help document the mix of animals in a given area. With a variety of cameras, or one in a location representative of the whole area, you can document the range of animals inhabiting the area.
Identifying Quantities
The number of images, rather than the quality of the images, can be of significant value to indicate the amount of wildlife activity. Similar to a viewing station at a fish ladder where fish are counted by biologists, a camera can be placed on a known deer trail, for example. The sum of images, with a large enough sample, may indicate trends in deer population in this example.
Spotting Menacing Animals
With humans encroaching on wildlife habitat, there are bound to be conflicts. From raccoons living in attics to black bears raiding garbage cans, animal and human contact can be both frightening and dangerous. A common problem is only finding the aftermath of a culprit, such as attic insulation in shambles or garbage strewn across the yard. Not having conclusive evidence of the source of such recurring encounters makes it very difficult address the problem -- which may involve trapping and relocating a certain animal, if it can be identified. Microcontrolled cameras are much better at this application than surveillance or home security cameras, as they don't produce a tomb of footage to go through. They only take a picture when there's action.