WildTrack: RFID Monitoring of Translocated Species on Dirk Hartog Island

52 individually tagged animals—13 greater stick-nest rats, 2 rufous hare-wallabies, and 37 Shark Bay bandicoots—were detected by a remote automated RFID system over a 16-month deployment. The dataset provides individual-level persistence data, with the longest detection for a hare-wallaby occurring 1,291 days post-translocation, and supports analysis of diel activity patterns and home-range sizes. It evaluates an innovative, contactless monitoring method for cryptic and trap-shy species in a remote Australian island translocation program.

Use Cases

• Evaluating post-release persistence of translocated individuals based on RFID detection timestamps and dates.
• Comparing diel activity patterns between species using timestamped detection data against camera trap estimates.
• Estimating home-range sizes for Shark Bay bandicoots from spatial detection data across deployed modules.
• Assessing sex-biased detection rates in remote monitoring systems.
• Validating the effectiveness of automated RFID technology for monitoring cryptic wildlife in resource-limited, remote areas.

Strengths

• Provides individual-animal resolution for 52 subjects across three species, with 1,339 total detections for Shark Bay bandicoots.
• Offers long-term temporal data, with detections spanning up to 1,291 days post-translocation for one individual.
• Data was collected via an automated, remote method (RFID), reducing invasiveness and labor compared to trapping.
• Licensed under CC-BY-4.0, permitting broad reuse with attribution.

Limitations

• Column names and a complete data dictionary are not provided, limiting understanding of the data structure.
• The dataset description is truncated, and the exact row count is unknown.
• Detection rates were heavily skewed toward the first five months of the 16-month deployment, potentially biasing temporal analyses.

Provenance

Source

Kelly Williams-Kelly.

Collection Method

Data gathered via deployment of 'WildTrack' RFID modules that remotely detect PIT-tagged animals and transmit data via cellular network.

Time Range

Covers at least a 16-month deployment period, with individual detections recorded up to 1,291 days post-translocation.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18.

Geography

Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia.