Citation. Kuechle, V. B. 1982. State of the art of biotelemetry in North America. Pages 1-18 in C. L. Cheeseman, and R. B. Mitson, editors. Telemetric Studies of Vertebrates. Symposium of Zool. Soc. Academic Press, London. (49:1-18)   [1357  CC]

Synopsis. In telemetry from animals, the state of the art is in applying existing technology from a variety of sources to the problem. Currently, primary emphasis is on factors that increase the quantity and quality of the data collected. Factors influencing the reliability and quality of transmitters and receivers, such as batteries, attachment design, component selection and encapsulation design, are discussed. Also covered are new design techniques that enhance the quality of data on a second level, such as tags that telemeter temperature or pressure and the automatic or remote data collection systems. A short summary of the state of the art in satellite tracking of wildlife is also given. Finally, future directions in telemetry are discussed.