A system to acquire and record physiological and behavioral data remotely from nonhuman primates.

We describe an integrated system to record physiological and behavioral variables from nonhuman primates in social groups. The system records data simultaneously from two animals in family groups of five. It synchronizes behavioral and physiological data within 16 ms, either on-line or from recordings. Behavioral data are entered by trained observers on-line or from videotape. Recordings of physiological data are produced on-line as stripchart records, tape recordings on the audio channels of video cassettes, and magnetic disk files. The physiological data include two arterial blood flows, arterial blood pressure and heart rate. The data are transmitted from freely behaving animals to a central site via radio telemetry. The infrared link controls the radio transmitter and physiological signal processing electronics, as well as two sources of drugs for each animal. All of the electronics are contained in a small, light backpack that can be worn by either male or female baboons.

A repeater type biotelemetry system for use on wild big game animals.

A repeater type telemetry system was developed and field tested on a wild elk near laramie, Wyoming, in the summer of 1973. The telemetry system consisted of the following: (a) a heat flow rate sensing implanted transmitter, (b) a repeater type neck collar and (c) a portable receiving station consisting of a receiver, decoding circuitry and analog chart recorder. The transmitter in (a) produced relatively low frequency rf pulses whose repetition rate was directly proportional to heat flow rate through the hide of the animal. In (b), the pulses from the implant are sensed and retransmitted using a relatively high power, high frequency transmitter. A second rf pulse was generated whose pulse spacing was related to animal activity. Details of circuit design and performance are given. Field experience has shown that this method is extremely useful for the monitoring of biological data from secretive big game animals such as elk.