{
  "abstract": "Reliably capturing transient animal behavior in the field and laboratory remains a logistical and financial challenge, especially for small ectotherms. Here, we evaluate home security cameras as affordable, accessible and suitable alternatives for monitoring small, cold-blooded animals historically overlooked by commercial camera traps. These cameras are often lightweight, weather-resistant, operate offline or online, store data continuously for up to four weeks and can use phone notifications over local Wi-Fi to alert users to behaviorally relevant events. We first benchmark a representative home security camera against an established trail camera under matched laboratory conditions in both continuous and motion-triggered modes, comparing event detection, recording duration, and missed-event rates. We then validate the system during a 1.5-month deployment in a tropical primary rainforest, assessing weather durability, sensitivity-versus-data-volume trade-offs, and whether behavioral measurements obtained in the laboratory are reproducible under natural conditions. We discuss the relative affordability of our system for researchers in the Global South, home to the largest ectotherm diversity.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA",
    "Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA",
    "Graduate Program in Zoology, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahía, Brazil"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Billie C. Goolsby",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9791-114X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "M Fischer",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6693-8662"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tony G. Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0788-9351"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daniela Pareja-Mejía",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0393-5496"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daniel A. Shaykevich",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3850-0986"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Amaris R. Lewis",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-7373-1968"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gaëlle Raboisson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Katharina Dellefont"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Madison P. Lacey",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-7641-0434"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lauren A. O’Connell",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2706-4077"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fydw5qb5fqb52.bib",
  "cited_by": 9,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0360298",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704821",
  "id": "fydw5qb5fqb52",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360298",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1105|Amphibian and Reptile Biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2303|Wildlife Ecology and Conservation"
    ],
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      "openalex",
      "2306|Amphibian and Reptile Biology"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Life cycles/Tadpoles"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Vertebrates/Amphibians"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Vertebrates/Amphibians/Frogs"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Reproductive physiology/Eggs"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Animal behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Animal behavior/Animal sexual behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal behavior/Animal sexual behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Vertebrates/Amphibians"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Vertebrates/Amphibians/Frogs"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Computer and information sciences/Data management"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Engineering and technology/Equipment/Optical equipment/Cameras"
    ],
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      "plos",
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    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Animal behavior/Animal sexual behavior"
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  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704821?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13704821",
  "pmid": "42932364",
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fydw5qb5fqb52.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
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      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42932364"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:animal behavior",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Home security cameras as a tool for behavior observations and science affordability",
  "title_text": "Home security cameras as a tool for behavior observations and science affordability",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T13:20:50Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fydw5qb5fqb52",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}