laika θΔ

What is the number/ID in your name?

The number or ID in my name, as well in many others, signifies that I am radio collared. The number is a radio collar ID. 

What is a radio collar? 

Radio collars are a collar that goes around an animal's neck or body to monitor activity or movement. They are used by scientists and researchers globally to help monitor and research animals. Radio collars were created in the late 20th century and were popularized due to the creation and evolution of GPS, making information from the collars much more accurate than previous technologies, like VHF, though VHF is still used. Now, with even better technologies, research opportunities are both more accessible and more accurate than ever. Radio collars help scientists to monitor an animal’s territory, population size, migration routes or change in habitat. Radio or tracking collars are particularly useful in the monitoring of critically endangered species. One of the most famous examples of radio collaring an endangered species is the story of reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone, which you can read about here. 

Why does the radio collar have a specific ID?

The ID is for telling animals apart. When an animal is radio collared, they are given one, unique and specific ID number that will serve as their name or identifying factor until their death. Generally, ID numbers are not reused and are unique to the one animal. They are not reused to maintain clarity for researchers. There will be more about what the specific numbers/letters in the IDs signify below, see "How do I create my own radio collar ID".

Are radio collar IDs only for wolves? 

No, not at all. Many animals, though primarily large mammals, can be radio collared. Generally, animals are collared around their necks, although some are collared on different limbs, such as legs. Although one of the most famous examples of radio-collaring comes from wolves in Yellowstone National Park, animals such as lions, or even elk and deer are often collared by wildlife professionals. Any animal in which a radio collar would fit could theoretically be radio collared, and thus have a radio collar ID.

Are radio collar IDs only used for wild animals? 

No. Many captive kept animals are also known as IDs and while depending on land/enclosure size, a collar may not be necessary to track the animal down, many scientists still know them by a sequence of numbers. However, if the animal has an extremely large territory while still being in captivity, a collar may be used to monitor movements. 

How do I create my own radio collar ID? 

There is no single way to create one, however I will try to offer multiple options. 

(Please note that none of these are my original ideas! I will do my best to cite others who have similar posts on creating an ID, similarly, if you have another strategy/idea and would like it to be added, please contact me.)

1. Use the first two digits of the year you awakened, ex: 2026, for the first two numbers. For the next two numbers, use the last digits two of your birth year, ex: 1952. Finally, include a letter at the end that you feel aligns with your orientation: M (male) F (female) A/X (gender neutral/other). Using the examples, the final ID would be 2052X.  other posts about the making of this ID: here (@wulfbones), here, (@astrakaninez) 2. Some researchers sort by state or country, so some IDs will have prefixes such as NY2052X or NY40M, indicating said animal is in/from New York. 3. Similarly to IDs being sorted by state/country, many are more specific and are sorted by region or habitat. For example, in a study made about Red Wolf recovery, there were two main populations: Island Propagation Site, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. The habitat the radio collared wolves lived in determined part of their IDs, 'I' correlating to Island Propagation Site while 'S' linked to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This could be seen as: S2052X, or I40M. (Using example numbers). 4. There are also systems counted by population, which would generally start at zero and move up as said animal population increased. For example, if you were the 40th male elk in the region, your radio collar ID could be 40M.  5. Just use numbers you feel resonate with you or numbers you like, ending with an M, F or A/X.

Something to keep in mind: generally male animals with ID collars have odd numbers, while females have even, although this is not always the case. 

I have also found that usually uppercase M, F, X/A indicates adulthood, while lowercase (m, f, a/x) can indicate that the animal is a juvenile. Some other sources use a 'J' (juvenile) or an 'A', to signify a breeding pair. A 'C' in the ID can also signal that the collared animal is in captivity. Both the 'J', 'C' and 'A' are generally put in front, while the sex is generally last. An example of this would be J40F, which would signify a juvenile, female animal, that is the 40th of its kind in the area/population.

Link to article with several good ID examples here. (thank you @wulfbones for finding this article)

I would also like to acknowledge and emphasize both the meaning and importance of a radio collared ID. Although some animals, such as myself, have another name that they may be called, to many who use ID numbers, those are their names. While yes, IDs are fun to create and play around with, it is also important to realize that both radio collars and the IDs that come with them are very meaningful and important to many and should be given respect.

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