Browsing by Subject "Costa Rica"
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Item Open Access A coprological survey of parasites of wild mantled howling monkeys, Alouatta palliata palliata.(J Wildl Dis, 1990-10) Stuart, MD; Greenspan, LL; Glander, KE; Clarke, MRFecal samples from 155 mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata palliata) examined at Centro Ecologico La Pacifica, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, revealed 75 (48%) had parasitic infections. A sampling of nine howling monkeys from Santa Rosa National Park. Costa Rica indicated only one infected animal (11%). Only three of 19 (16%) spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) also from Santa Rosa were infected. Controrchis biliophilus, Trypanoxyuris minutus, unidentified strongylid eggs and Isospora sp. oocysts were found. Three monkeys from La Pacifica died and were examined for adult helminths. They were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, C. biliophilus and T. minutus.Item Open Access Assessing Community Based Water Organization Performance in Central America(2017-06-26) Browning, NeilWhat are the effects of household, community, technical, and environmental variables on the performance and resilience of CWOs in dry regions? Since 2014, drought has severely affected Central American economic and health outcomes, necessitating international intervention. 2.5 million people were at risk of food insecurity across the region in 2014, and 65% of homes had no stock of food during the 2015 harvest season. Low-income families living in Central America’s “dry corridor” are affected the most by droughts; the UN’s long-term plan is to build climate resilience in these communities as climate change increases the magnitude and frequency of droughts. Local community-based drinking water organizations (CWOs) are key actors in Central American water provision. In rural and urban peripheral areas, CWOs provide the populace with up to 60% of its drinkable water. As climate change strains water accessibility, these local institutions will require effective management strategies so they have the capacity to handle the resource declines they will experience. I assessed how different independent variables are associated with the adaptive capacity of CWOs and identified attributes that lead to success by conducting regression analyses on a data set from three Central American countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. I also compared the statistically significant outcomes across the three countries. The regressions are based on survey data that has been gathered at the household and CWO level, technical data that was collected by engineers, as well as environmental and census data on the subnational regions in question. First, I examined household reports of water access – defined as number of hours per day. I analyzed how this definition of water access related to household, engineering, community-level, and environmental variables. I found that volumetric pricing and elevation are the key variables to consider when designing an effective governance structure for a Central American CWO. I also determined that it is possible that national norms in CWO procedures may overstate the effect of volumetric pricing. Second, I used three different engineering variables as dependent and analyzed how they were affected by household, community-level and environmental variables. Unlike the hours of service variable, the engineering variables were collected at the community level by engineers, rather than self-reported at the household level. I conclude that elevation and volumetric pricing are the most relevant variables to consider in effective rural water provision. Elevation increases the start-up and maintenance costs of obtaining water. Volumetric pricing should be promoted as well, as it encourages the regulation of scarce water resources in the simplest way. I also conclude that higher elevation communities require more maintenance from community members, and require more expensive and powerful pumping technology.Item Open Access Costa Rica's payment for environmental services program: intention, implementation, and impact.(Conserv Biol, 2007-10) Sánchez-Azofeifa, G Arturo; Pfaff, Alexander; Robalino, Juan Andres; Boomhower, Judson PWe evaluated the intention, implementation, and impact of Costa Rica's program of payments for environmental services (PSA), which was established in the late 1990s. Payments are given to private landowners who own land in forest areas in recognition of the ecosystem services their land provides. To characterize the distribution of PSA in Costa Rica, we combined remote sensing with geographic information system databases and then used econometrics to explore the impacts of payments on deforestation. Payments were distributed broadly across ecological and socioeconomic gradients, but the 1997-2000 deforestation rate was not significantly lower in areas that received payments. Other successful Costa Rican conservation policies, including those prior to the PSA program, may explain the current reduction in deforestation rates. The PSA program is a major advance in the global institutionalization of ecosystem investments because few, if any, other countries have such a conservation history and because much can be learned from Costa Rica's experiences.Item Open Access Deconstruction of Faith: A Pastoral Approach for Latin American Pentecostal Churches(2023) Solís, EstebanThere is a growing number of people going through deconstructive faith experiences in Latin American Pentecostal churches. Factors like globalization, individualism, high educational rates, the post-colonial experience of the Latin American church, fundamentalism, connectivity, and others contribute to accelerate this trend and shape the environment of faith communities that find themselves amongst increasingly postmodern tendencies. Most pastors are either ignoring the situation, rejecting deconstruction all together, or embracing it blindly. I propose a pastoral response from a distinctively Pentecostal perspective that engages deconstruction of faith critically, while staying open to conceive it as a tool for Spirit-led discipleship that can produce a more mature faith.I examine six affirmations made by Jacques Derrida that explain deconstruction as something that happens, happens from the inside, is not a method, is call, is a yes to the other, and is affirmative of institutions. Each of these is contrasted with specific examples of cultural changes in Costa Rica, Peter’s experience at the house of Cornelius, and a Latin American Pentecostal perspective. By exploring a variety of authors, I have identified different tools that can help Latin American Pentecostal pastors to better engage in discipleship practices that can produce mature believers in a postmodern era.
Item Open Access Dental microwear in live, wild-trapped Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica.(Am J Phys Anthropol, 1991-07) Teaford, MF; Glander, KEOne problem with dental microwear analyses of museum material is that investigators can never be sure of the diets of the animals in question. An obvious solution to this problem is to work with live animals. Recent work with laboratory primates has shown that high resolution dental impressions can be obtained from live animals. The purpose of this study was to use similar methods to begin to document rates and patterns of dental microwear for primates in the wild. Thirty-three Alouatta palliata were captured during the wet season at Hacienda La Pacifica near Canas, Costa Rica. Dental impressions were taken and epoxy casts of the teeth were prepared using the methods of Teaford and Oyen (1989a). Scanning electron micrographs were taken of the left mandibular second molars at magnifications of 200x and 500x. Lower magnification images were used to calculate rates of wear, and higher magnification images were used to measure the size and shape of microwear features. Results indicate that, while basic patterns of dental microwear are similar in museum samples and samples of live, wild-trapped animals of the same species, ecological differences between collection locales may lead to significant intraspecific differences in dental microwear. More importantly, rates of microwear provide the first direct evidence of differences in molar use between monkeys and humans.Item Open Access Dental topography and molar wear in Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica.(Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004-10) Dennis, John C; Ungar, Peter S; Teaford, Mark F; Glander, Kenneth EPaleoprimatologists depend on relationships between form and function of teeth to reconstruct the diets of fossil species. Most of this work has been limited to studies of unworn teeth. A new approach, dental topographic analysis, allows the characterization and comparison of worn primate teeth. Variably worn museum specimens have been used to construct species-specific wear sequences so that measurements can be compared by wear stage among taxa with known differences in diet. This assumes that individuals in a species tend to wear their molar teeth in similar ways, a supposition that has yet to be tested. Here we evaluate this assumption with a longitudinal study of changes in tooth form over time in primates. Fourteen individual mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) were captured and then recaptured after 2, 4, and 7 years when possible at Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica between 1989-1999. Dental impressions were taken each time, and molar casts were produced and analyzed using dental topographic analysis. Results showed consistent decreases in crown slope and occlusal relief. In contrast, crown angularity, a measure of surface jaggedness, remained fairly constant except with extreme wear. There were no evident differences between specimens collected in different microhabitats. These results suggest that different individual mantled howling monkeys wear their teeth down in similar ways, evidently following a species-specific wear sequence. Dental topographic analysis may therefore be used to compare morphology among similarly worn individuals from different species.Item Open Access Differential introgression of a female competitive trait in a hybrid zone between sex-role reversed species.(Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, 2019-02) Lipshutz, Sara E; Meier, Joana I; Derryberry, Graham E; Miller, Matthew J; Miller, Matthew J; Seehausen, Ole; Derryberry, Elizabeth PMating behavior between recently diverged species in secondary contact can impede or promote reproductive isolation. Traditionally, researchers focus on the importance of female mate choice and male-male competition in maintaining or eroding species barriers. Although female-female competition is widespread, little is known about its role in the speciation process. Here, we investigate a case of interspecific female competition and its influence on patterns of phenotypic and genetic introgression between species. We examine a hybrid zone between sex-role reversed, Neotropical shorebird species, the northern jacana (Jacana spinosa) and wattled jacana (J. jacana), in which female-female competition is a major determinant of reproductive success. Previous work found that females of the more aggressive and larger species, J. spinosa, disproportionately mother hybrid offspring, potentially by monopolizing breeding territories in sympatry with J. jacana. We find a cline shift of female body mass relative to the genetic center of the hybrid zone, consistent with asymmetric introgression of this competitive trait. We suggest that divergence in sexual characteristics between sex-role reversed females can influence patterns of gene flow upon secondary contact, similar to males in systems with more typical sex roles.Item Open Access Dust accumulation in the canopy: a potential cause of dental microwear in primates.(Am J Phys Anthropol, 1995-06) Ungar, PS; Teaford, MF; Glander, KE; Pastor, RFDental microwear researchers consider exogenous grit or dust to be an important cause of microscopic wear on primate teeth. No study to date has examined the accumulation of such abrasives on foods eaten by primates in the forest. This investigation introduces a method to collect dust at various heights in the canopy. Results from dust collection studies conducted at the primate research stations at Ketambe in Indonesia, and Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica indicate that 1) grit collects throughout the canopy in both open country and tropical rain forest environments; and 2) the sizes and concentrations of dust particles accumulated over a fixed period of time differ depending on site location and season of investigation. These results may hold important implications for the interpretation of microwear on primate teeth.Item Unknown Ecological Assessment of the Flamingo Mangroves, Guanacaste, Costa Rica(2011-04-29) Fedak, Derek; Windstein, MarieMangroves are tropical and subtropical ecosystems found in intertidal zones that provide vital ecosystem services including sustenance of commercially important fishery species, improvement of coastal water quality through nutrient cycling and sediment interception, and protection of coastal communities from storm surge and erosion. However, land use conversion and water pollution are threatening these ecosystems and their associated services worldwide. This master’s project conducted an ecological assessment on a mangrove forest adjoining the property of the Flamingo Beach Resort and Spa in Playa Flamingo, located in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The project analyzed vegetation health, water and soil quality, bird species richness, and identified threats to the forest. It also assessed several options for the resort’s development of ecotourism, such as community involvement, the construction of an educational boardwalk, and the creation of a vegetation buffer adjoining the mangroves. The results indicate that the Flamingo Mangroves are generally in a healthy state. Vegetation structure like canopy height, biomass, vegetation importance values, and species distribution compares well with previous ecological studies on mature tidal mangroves. The ecosystem supports 42 resident bird species and likely up to 30 migratory species. However, water quality is a major concern, which reported elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus through runoff and discharged wastewater in the northern section of the forest. Additionally, the western edge of the forest adjoining the beach road is frequently disturbed by automotive traffic and runoff, displaying reduced or stunted vegetation and sandy soil. This report contains several recommendations on how to preserve the mangroves by improving water quality, reducing physical and chemical disturbances, and engaging the community. The results of the project will be incorporated into our client‘s and Flamingo community‘s future management practices to conserve the Flamingo Mangroves and emphasize the value of this ecosystem.Item Unknown Evaluating interactions of forest conservation policies on avoided deforestation.(PLoS One, 2015) Robalino, Juan; Sandoval, Catalina; Barton, David N; Chacon, Adriana; Pfaff, AlexanderWe estimate the effects on deforestation that have resulted from policy interactions between parks and payments and between park buffers and payments in Costa Rica between 2000 and 2005. We show that the characteristics of the areas where protected and unprotected lands are located differ significantly. Additionally, we find that land characteristics of each of the policies and of the places where they interact also differ significantly. To adequately estimate the effects of the policies and their interactions, we use matching methods. Matching is implemented not only to define adequate control groups, as in previous research, but also to define those groups of locations under the influence of policies that are comparable to each other. We find that it is more effective to locate parks and payments away from each other, rather than in the same location or near each other. The high levels of enforcement inside both parks and lands with payments, and the presence of conservation spillovers that reduce deforestation near parks, significantly reduce the potential impact of combining these two policies.Item Unknown Exploring the interactions of wildlife and rural communities in Carara National Park, Costa Rica(2010-12-09) Huson, KimberlyPark officials at Carara National Park, Costa Rica, face considerable challenges. They believe poaching has become a significant threat to the park’s biodiversity and that their enforcement measures, largely due to limited funds, are inadequate. Through family-level interviews in six communities surrounding Carara National Park, this study aims to understand the dynamics of poaching by identifying animals at risk of poaching and identifying communities to target future enforcement measures. Interviews inquired about interactions with wildlife, perceived populations of wildlife, sale of wildlife, opinions towards hunting, and observed hunting activities. Summary statistics, CART modeling and probit regressions are used to analyze the data. Results indicate hunting is not prevalent in terms of the number of families that hunt. However, these families can still have significant impacts on wildlife populations with poaching occurring for both subsistence and market-oriented reasons. Two potential community sets are identified as areas to target enforcement. Based on the number of reported families engaging in hunting, enforcement should be targeted in Bijagual and Tárcoles. However, exploring truthfulness through CART and probit regression analysis indicates enforcement should be targeted in El Sur and La Hacienda. Ultimately, future enforcement measures will be determined by Carara officials. Although potential target communities are identified and management practices such as ecotourism and community-based management are potentially viable avenues for reducing poaching, the park faces considerable challenges for enforcement due to its limited financial capabilities.Item Unknown Field methods for capture and measurement of three monkey species in Costa Rica.(Folia Primatol (Basel), 1991) Glander, KE; Fedigan, LM; Fedigan, L; Chapman, CA total of 54 free-ranging monkeys were captured and marked in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, during May 1985, and an additional 17 were captured during March 1986. The animals were darted using a blowpipe or a CO2 gun. The drugs used were Ketaset, Sernylan and Telazol. Ketaset was effective for Cebus capucinus but unsuccessful for Alouatta palliata and Ateles geoffroyi. Sernylan was successful for A. geoffroyi and A. palliata but is no longer commercially available. Telazol proved to be an excellent alternative capture drug for both A. palliata and A. geoffroyi.Item Unknown "It's so Pura Vida": The Tourism Global Value Chain and Ethnoracial Stratification in Costa Rica(2011) Christian, Michelle MarieOver the last thirty years successful national economic development is considered participation in global industries, particularly in global value chains. Frequently, however, inclusion in these chains brings forth varied socioeconomic benefits for chain actors, acutely different ethnic and racial groups. Costa Rican participation in the tourism global value chain while heralded as a success story shows varied impacts for ethnoracial groups who are incorporated, excluded, and stratified in various forms. By comparing two communities in Costa Rica, Tamarindo and Cahuita, three main practices are apparent in determining the position of foreigners from the global North, Costa Ricans from the Central Valley, Afro-Costa Ricans, and Guanacastecans in the industry as workers or entrepreneur suppliers: (1) the role of governance structures, i.e., power dynamics between firms along the value chain and the importance of standards, formal and subjective; (2) institutions, including global private travel fairs, national tourism boards, and specific development policies; and (3) the dominance of environmental imagery and rural democracy narratives to market Costa Rica. Concretely, the development of global tourism in Costa Rica and its impact upon different groups is nuanced and it is a testament to both opportunities for local economic and social empowerment and stratification and marginalization.
Item Open Access Mechanical defenses in leaves eaten by Costa Rican howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).(Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006-01) Teaford, MF; Lucas, PW; Ungar, PS; Glander, KEPrimate species often eat foods of different physical properties. This may have implications for tooth structure and wear in those species. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanical defenses of leaves eaten by Alouatta palliata from different social groups at Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica. Leaves were sampled from the home-ranges of groups living in different microhabitats. Specimens were collected during the wet and dry seasons from the same tree, same plant part, and same degree of development as those eaten by the monkeys. The toughness of over 300 leaves was estimated using a scissors test on a Darvell mechanical tester. Toughness values were compared between social groups, seasons, and locations on the leaves using ANOVA. Representative samples of leaves were also sun-dried for subsequent scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analyses in an attempt to locate silica on the leaves. Both forms of mechanical defense (toughness and silica) were found to be at work in the plants at La Pacifica. Fracture toughness varied significantly by location within single leaves, indicating that measures of fracture toughness must be standardized by location on food items. Monkeys made some food choices based on fracture toughness by avoiding the toughest parts of leaves and consuming the least tough portions. Intergroup and seasonal differences in the toughness of foods suggest that subtle differences in resource availability can have a significant impact on diet and feeding in Alouatta palliata. Intergroup differences in the incidence of silica on leaves raise the possibility of matching differences in the rates and patterns of tooth wear.Item Open Access Mechanical defenses in leaves eaten by Costa Rican howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).(Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006-01) Glander, Kenneth Earl; Lucas, PW; Teaford, Mark F; Ungar, PSPrimate species often eat foods of different physical properties. This may have implications for tooth structure and wear in those species. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanical defenses of leaves eaten by Alouatta palliata from different social groups at Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica. Leaves were sampled from the home-ranges of groups living in different microhabitats. Specimens were collected during the wet and dry seasons from the same tree, same plant part, and same degree of development as those eaten by the monkeys. The toughness of over 300 leaves was estimated using a scissors test on a Darvell mechanical tester. Toughness values were compared between social groups, seasons, and locations on the leaves using ANOVA. Representative samples of leaves were also sun-dried for subsequent scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analyses in an attempt to locate silica on the leaves. Both forms of mechanical defense (toughness and silica) were found to be at work in the plants at La Pacifica. Fracture toughness varied significantly by location within single leaves, indicating that measures of fracture toughness must be standardized by location on food items. Monkeys made some food choices based on fracture toughness by avoiding the toughest parts of leaves and consuming the least tough portions. Intergroup and seasonal differences in the toughness of foods suggest that subtle differences in resource availability can have a significant impact on diet and feeding in Alouatta palliata. Intergroup differences in the incidence of silica on leaves raise the possibility of matching differences in the rates and patterns of tooth wear.Item Open Access Natal emigration by both sexes in the La Pacifica population of mantled howlers: when do some stay?(Am J Primatol, 2008-02) Clarke, Margaret R; Glander, Kenneth EWe have reported previously that all male and female mantled howlers emigrate from natal groups at Hacienda La Pacifica, Costa Rica. In the years since that report, a small number of juveniles have stayed in the natal group without experiencing a solitary phase. Here, we present a post hoc analysis on juvenile emigration in six groups of howlers under observation for varying amounts of time between 1972 and 2005. Our records revealed 139 juveniles for whom emigration status was certain, and 125 of these did emigrate. There was a significant association between presence of mother and emigration: juveniles without mothers were more likely to remain in their natal group (chi(1)(2) = 53.1, P<.0001). The mean age of emigration for all juveniles (n = 125) was 2.47 years (SD = 0.9, range = 1.5-6.5). There was no difference in age of emigration by adult male composition (one-male, multi-male, both), but juveniles of unknown sex emigrated younger than either known males or females (F(2,116) = 4.4, P<.02). For emigrating juveniles of known sex (n = 99), both males and females without mothers left at a later age than those with mothers (F(1,95) = 6.5, P<.02). Although philopatry or delayed emigration occurs in a few motherless animals, most males and females do emigrate from their natal groups at ages consistent with those reported for other species of howlers.Item Open Access Reproduction and population growth in free-ranging mantled howling monkeys.(Am J Phys Anthropol, 1980-07) Glander, KEFree-ranging mantled howling monkey (Alouatta palliata Gray) females experienced a regular estrus cycle averaging 16.3 days, demonstrated sexual skin changes, and participated in multiple matings before becoming pregnant. Gestation averaged 186 days. The average interval between births was 22.5 months. Sexual maturity occurred at approximately 36 and 42 months for females and males, respectively. Female age at first birth was about 3 1/2 years. Births were scattered during some years and clustered during others. The age, rank, and parity of the females affected infant survival. More female than male infants survived to one year of age. Increased population size was the result of immigration rather than births.Item Open Access Restoring diversity after cattail expansion: disturbance, resilience, and seasonality in a tropical dry wetland.(Ecol Appl, 2011-04) Osland, Michael J; González, Eugenio; Richardson, Curtis JAs the human footprint expands, ecologists and resource managers are increasingly challenged to explain and manage abrupt ecosystem transformations (i.e., regime shifts). In this study, we investigated the role of a mechanical disturbance that has been used to restore and maintain local wetland diversity after a monotypic regime shift in northwestern Costa Rica [specifically, an abrupt landscape-scale cattail (Typha) expansion]. The study was conducted in Palo Verde Marsh (Palo Verde National Park; a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance), a seasonally flooded freshwater wetland that has historically provided habitat for large populations of wading birds and waterfowl. A cattail (T. domingensis) expansion in the 1980s greatly altered the plant community and reduced avian habitat. Since then, Typha has been managed using a form of mechanical disturbance called fangueo (a Spanish word, pronounced "fahn-gay-yo" in English). We applied a Typha removal treatment at three levels (control, fangueo, and fangueo with fencing to exclude cattle grazing). Fangueo resulted in a large reduction in Typha dominance (i.e., decreased aboveground biomass, ramet density, and ramet height) and an increase in habitat heterogeneity. As in many ecosystems that have been defined by multiple and frequent disturbances, a large portion of the plant community regenerated after disturbance (via propagule banking) and fangueo resulted in a more diverse plant community that was strongly dictated by seasonal processes (i.e., distinct wet- and dry-season assemblages). Importantly, the mechanical disturbance had no apparent short-term impact on any of the soil properties we measured (including bulk density). Interestingly, low soil and foliar N:P values indicate that Palo Verde Marsh and other wetlands in the region may be nitrogen limited. Our results quantify how, in a cultural landscape where the historical disturbance regime has been altered and diversity has declined, a mechanical disturbance in combination with seasonal drought and flooding has been used to locally restrict a clonal monodominant plant expansion, create habitat heterogeneity, and maintain plant diversity.Item Open Access Secondary transfer of adult mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) on Hacienda La Pacifica, Costa Rica: 1975-2009.(Primates, 2010-07) Clarke, Margaret R; Glander, Kenneth ENatal emigration by male and female mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata), and subsequent immigration into breeding groups, is well documented for the free-ranging population on Hacienda La Pacifica, Costa Rica, but secondary transfer was considered rare (Glander in Int J Primatol 3:415-436, 1992). Population surveys in 1998 and 2006 caused us to question our assumptions and to re-evaluate our long-term data set from a post hoc perspective. We first identified all animals observed or captured as adults in more than one non-natal group anywhere in the population. We then systematically analyzed joining or leaving by adults in seven groups tracked for various times from 1975 to 2005 for patterns suggesting secondary transfer. Fourteen adults (nine females, five males) were found in two different non-natal groups as adults. In addition, one male and one female that became dominant and reproduced in their natal group later transferred to a second group, and one female was known to be a tertiary transfer. Data from the seven tracked social groups indicate that 35% of all the males and 29% of all the females were potential secondary transfers. In these groups, males leaving or joining was not associated with group size or absolute number of females. Females leaving or joining was not associated with group size or absolute number of males, but females left groups with more females and joined groups with fewer females. Both sexes left groups with unfavorable sex ratios for their sex and joined groups with sex ratios more favorable for their sex. Since a favorable sex ratio is associated with reproductive success in other howler populations, this suggests secondary transfer as a reproductive strategy. Other factors could also influence secondary transfer.Item Open Access Testing parallel laser image scaling for remotely measuring body dimensions on mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).(Am J Primatol, 2015-08) Barrickman, Nancy L; Schreier, Amy L; Glander, Kenneth EBody size is a fundamental variable for many studies in primate biology. However, obtaining body dimensions of wild primates through live capture is difficult and costly, so developing an alternative inexpensive and non-invasive method is crucial. Parallel laser image scaling for remotely measuring body size has been used with some success in marine and terrestrial animals, but only one arboreal primate. We further tested the efficacy of this method on the arboreal mantled howling monkey (Alouatta palliata) in La Pacifica, Costa Rica. We calculated interobserver error, as well as the method's repeatability when measuring the same animal on different occasions. We also compared measurements obtained physically through live capture with measurements obtained remotely using parallel laser image scaling. Our results show that the different types of error for the remote technique are minimal and comparable with the error rates observed in physical methods, with the exception of some dimensions that vary depending on the animals' posture. We conclude that parallel laser image scaling can be used to remotely obtain body dimensions if careful consideration is given to factors such as species-specific morphology and postural habits.