The Amazon, undone: Devouring the rainforest

Camera trap data has been “deficient and scattered,” the researchers write — a missed opportunity to study and inventory wildlife in the Amazon in a noninvasive way. Now, they’re making it freely available (but asking scholars to let them know how they use it). It’s an attempt not just to get the information in one place but to enable researchers to study some of the biggest challenges that face the region. Many — such as climate change, deforestation and fire — are human-caused.

How deforestation is pushing the Amazon toward a tipping point

The area is the world’s most biodiverse, and many of its thousands upon thousands of species have not been documented or studied.

The camera traps in the data set have snapped photos of 317 animal species in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. More than 50,000 photos — nearly half of the data set — were provided by Wildlife Conservation Society scientists.

The data includes information on things such as which species was captured, what bait was used, where an image was taken and what the landscape is like there.

Among the most photographed were lowland pacas, rodents with lines of deer-like spots; black razor-billed curassow birds; and gold tegus, a kind of lizard that can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh up to nine pounds.

How cameras in the wild have transformed what we know about animals

Camera traps are growing in popularity as a way to get information about animals without disturbing or killing them. Triggered by infrared sensors, the static cameras are used to check up on animal populations long term and take censuses of their numbers. They also provide insight into how animals prey and mate — activities that human presence could interrupt.

The project has been a “massive effort,” the researchers write. And it’s just the beginning: By releasing the data, the researchers say they hope they can create more connections between camera trap researchers and increase coordination for future surveys.