Snapshot Japan Protocol

This protocol is based on Snapshot USA 2023

1. Each collaborator selects one habitat type (Forest, Grassland, Anthropogenic, Other) and one development zone (Urban, Suburban, Rural, Wild) in which to deploy camera traps. Although you can survey multiple arrays, we ask that you avoid mixing habitats and zones across a single array.
2. The sampling window is September 1st until October 31st with a 2-week leeway on both sides of the period.
3. Within the sampling window, deploy at least 8 camera traps at 8 locations across the site for 60 days. The goal is a minimum of 400 camera nights (# cameras X # nights), but the more effort the better. If you have a minimum of 7 cameras functioning for the entire study period (60 days), you can still reach the minimum goal (60 nights x 7 cams = 420 cam nights).
4. The deployment locations must be at least 200 meters away from other cameras but no further than 5 kilometers.
5. For each camera deployment, record the location (latitude and longitude in degrees minutes), start date, end date, and camera make and model.
6. Make sure to capture at least one image of a camera trapper when each camera is deployed and retrieved, as these determine the start and end dates (if no final image of a camera trapper, we will have to use the date on the last image the camera took).
7. Cameras used must meet these baseline capabilities and be set to these settings:)
   a. Trigger speed <0.5 seconds
   b. Infrared flash (no white-flash allowed)
   c. 3-5 image bursts per trigger
   d. No delay between triggers (if necessary a few seconds delay is ok)
   e. No videos
8. These are just some examples of permitted camera makes and models:
   a. Browning (Strike Force Elite HD, 2017 Strike Force HD Pro, or camera of = or > quality)
   b. Bushnell (Trophy Cam HD, Essential, Aggressor, or camera of = or > quality)
   c. Moultrie (M-999I, M-1100i, or camera of = or > quality)
   d. Primos (Proof Cam 02, Proof Cam 03, or camera of = or > quality)
   e. Spypoint (Solar, Force 10, Force 11D, Force GM, or camera of = or > quality)
   f. Stealth Cam (G45NP Pro, G42NG, or camera of = or > quality)
   g. Reconyx (all models)
9. Cameras should be placed ~ 50cm off the ground (about knee-height) and with orientation parallel to the slope.
10. No food bait or scent lure will be used.
11. Cameras should be placed randomly against the animals’ movement paths.
12. While cameras can be placed on trails or logging roads, this must be indicated by the collaborator.
13. Once field work is complete, the collaborator will upload images and metadata to Wildlife Insights until the predetermined due date.
14. Collaborators are responsible for identifying all the images within their array(s).

Data accessibility and co-authorship statement

At Wildlife Insights website, there will be a 48-month embargo on the data for public display. At the end of the embargo period, all the data (except the location of endangered species) will be accessible to the public. Note that the embargo will be aborted if any scientific papers (including data papers) using the data are accepted, and the data is required to be available publicly due to the journal policies. All the participants (i.e. PIs and CO-PIs managing camera-trapping sites and contributors on the annotation etc.) can access the uploaded data any time. Authors of any scientific papers using the data under the embargo should offer authorship to the PIs and CO-PIs who contributed to develop dataset during the manuscript preparation phase. Although each author will make decisions on co-authorship for data contributors once the data are public, we will encourage collaborations with the participants of Snapshot Japan to a proper extent.