New Scanning Technology Makes Wildlife Identification as Easy as Checkout Counter Scanning
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: New scanner technology using near-infrared spectroscopy enables faster and more accurate species identification in the wild, making wildlife monitoring more accessible for conservation efforts.
📈 One key stat: The NIRS technology identified five out of eight amphibian species with 80% reliability using only one spectral reading per individual, dramatically improving field identification efficiency.
💬 One key quote: “With NIR, it’s almost like magic! With a calibrated database, all you have to do is pass the light beam through it and, voilà: the species is recognized,” said Pedro Pequeno, ecologist and researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology.
1️⃣ The big picture: Researchers in Brazil’s Amazonas state are testing portable scanners that use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to identify animal species in the wild. This technology works by emitting near-infrared light onto an animal’s body, measuring the reflected light to create a unique “spectral signature” for each species. Lead researcher Kelly Torralvo at the Mamirauá Institute is building a reference database for reptiles and amphibians by collecting specimens at night and scanning them in her field laboratory. The technology has already shown promising results in early testing and could transform how wildlife identification happens in remote areas.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This scanner technology makes species identification accessible to people without specialized expertise, potentially accelerating biodiversity research and conservation monitoring. The portable, relatively affordable devices can help identify endangered species in areas where specialists aren’t available. The technology may also help combat illegal wildlife trafficking by detecting meat from endangered animals that criminals have mixed with other species to evade detection. By democratizing species identification, conservation efforts can expand their reach and effectiveness in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon, where wildlife monitoring remains challenging.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers need to continue building robust reference databases linking each species to its unique spectral signature. The technology can be further refined to improve accuracy beyond the current 80% reliability rate. Wildlife management agencies and conservation organizations might soon integrate this technology into their monitoring programs and anti-trafficking efforts.
Read the full story here: Mongabay.com – ‘Revolutionary technology’ uses scanners for easier species detection in the wild
