SNAPSHOT USA 2019: a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States
Authors: Cove Michael V. , Kays Roland , Bontrager Helen , Bresnan Claire , Lasky Monica , Frerichs Taylor , Klann Renee , Lee Thomas E. , Crockett Seth C. , Crupi Anthony P. , Weiss Katherine C. B. , Rowe Helen , Sprague Tiffany , Schipper Jan , Tellez Chelsey , Lepczyk Christopher A. , Fantle‐Lepczyk Jean E. , LaPoint Scott , Williamson Jacque , Fisher‐Reid M. Caitlin , King Sean M. , Bebko Alexandra J. , Chrysafis Petros , Jensen Alex J. , Jachowski David S. , Sands Joshua , MacCombie Kelly Anne , Herrera Daniel J. , van der Merwe Marius , Knowles Travis W. , Horan Robert V. , Rentz Michael S. , Brandt LaRoy S. E. , Nagy Christopher , Barton Brandon T. , Thompson Weston C. , Maher Sean P. , Darracq Andrea K. , Hess George , Parsons Arielle W. , Wells Brenna , Roemer Gary W. , Hernandez Cristian J. , Gompper Matthew E. , Webb Stephen L. , Vanek John P. , Lafferty Diana J. R. , Bergquist Amelia M. , Hubbard Tru , Forrester Tavis , Clark Darren , Cincotta Connor , Favreau Jorie , Facka Aaron N. , Halbur Michelle , Hammerich Steven , Gray Morgan , Rega‐Brodsky Christine C. , Durbin Caleb , Flaherty Elizabeth A. , Brooke Jarred M. , Coster Stephanie S. , Lathrop Richard G. , Russell Katarina , Bogan Daniel A. , Cliché Rachel , Shamon Hila , Hawkins Melissa T. R. , Marks Sharyn B. , Lonsinger Robert C. , O'Mara M. Teague , Compton Justin A. , Fowler Melinda , Barthelmess Erika L. , Andy Katherine E. , Belant Jerrold L. , Beyer Dean E. , Kautz Todd M. , Scognamillo Daniel G. , Schalk Christopher M. , Leslie Matthew S. , Nasrallah Sophie L. , Ellison Caroline N. , Ruthven Chip , Fritts Sarah , Tleimat Jaquelyn , Gay Mandy , Whittier Christopher A. , Neiswenter Sean A. , Pelletier Robert , DeGregorio Brett A. , Kuprewicz Erin K. , Davis Miranda L. , Dykstra Adrienne , Mason David S. , Baruzzi Carolina , Lashley Marcus A. , Risch Derek R. , Price Melissa R. , Allen Maximilian L. , Whipple Laura S. , Sperry Jinelle H. , Hagen Robert H. , Mortelliti Alessio , Evans Bryn E. , Studds Colin E. , Sirén Alexej P. K. , Kilborn Jillian , Sutherland Chris , Warren Paige , Fuller Todd , Harris Nyeema C. , Carter Neil H. , Trout Edward , Zimova Marketa , Giery Sean T. , Iannarilli Fabiola , Higdon Summer D. , Revord Ronald S. , Hansen Christopher P. , Millspaugh Joshua J. , Zorn Adam , Benson John F. , Wehr Nathaniel H. , Solberg Jaylin N. , Gerber Brian D. , Burr Jessica C. , Sevin Jennifer , Green Austin M. , Şekercioğlu Çağan H. , Pendergast Mary , Barnick Kelsey A. , Edelman Andrew J. , Wasdin Joanne R. , Romero Andrea , O'Neill Brian J. , Schmitz Noel , Alston Jesse M. , Kuhn Kellie M. , Lesmeister Damon B. , Linnell Mark A. , Appel Cara L. , Rota Christopher , Stenglein Jennifer L. , Anhalt‐Depies Christine , Nelson Carrie , Long Robert A. , Jo Jaspers Kodi , Remine Kathryn R. , Jordan Mark J. , Davis Daniel , Hernández‐Yáñez Haydée , Zhao Jennifer Y. , McShea William J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractWith the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14‐week period (17 August–24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1,509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian’s eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the United States. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban–wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot‐usa, as will future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species‐specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.