Scats and hairs ID Flashcards
What are scats?
Characteristically formed faeces that can aid in the identification of an animal.
Why is it more difficult to identify animals from scats in countries other than the UK?
The UK has a relatively low diversity but other countries have overlaps in size and diet of animals.
What are scats primarily useful for?
Identifying the presence of an animal in an area.
Why is it useful that scats provide indication of food consumed?
They can show indications of poisoning and badger baiting.
What do TRACE have to say about scats?
They are rarely used if other evidence is available.
What is hair?
A covering of the body made up of 3 layers: cuticle, cortex and medulla.
What is the cuticle?
The outer layer of hair made up of keratinized cells called scales that protect the underlying hair (Li, R. 2008).
How can the cuticle aid in the identification of an animal?
There are many types of scales, scale patterns and scale margins that vary between species.
How does the medulla aid in identification?
It varies greatly between species.
What phase is the hair in when the follicle is still attached?
Anagen phase
How can geographical origin be determined from hair?
Palynomorphs and stable isotopes.
Why is it useful to identify geographical origin?
To give an indication of cases of trafficking. isotopes gradually change over time with a change in diet and habitat.
Where have radioisotopes been studied?
In Kenya in elephants since the 1960s, studying changes in diet and habitat.
Why is pollen useful in determining geographical origin?
Each plant genus has its own unique pollen grain morphology and can therefore be used to narrow down locations (marquez-Grant, N and Roberts, J. 2012).
What other substance can be identified from hair?
Drugs and poisons
