South Sudan DiversityCam

There are a lot of animals to choose from. Can I study to learn more about the area's wildlife?

Absolutely! We have compiled a .pdf tutorial of South Sudan's wildlife to help you identify subjects. You can access the tutorial under the "PDF Tutorial" tab at the top of the page.

We recognize that some photos are really difficult to identify and that in some cases there are many choices (for example, see the myriad mongooses). As our goal is to fully understand diversity in these forests - we really are aiming for species-level identification. That said, please don't despair or spend an inordinate amount of time on a single animal - but rather take your best guest and move on (see the next question)!

Why isn’t there an “I don’t know” button?

We do not have an 'I don't know' button because we really want your best guess! We know sometimes you are looking at a blurred image or just a small part of an animal, but please take your best guess. Human brains are much better at making pretty good guesses than you may think. Even when you think you have no idea, narrowing the options down and making a guess is still valuable information that we wouldn’t get if you selected “I don’t know.” Each photo will be assessed by several people, and collectively those guesses can help us narrow it down. If an animal really is impossible to identify, then we'll be able to tell from the variety of guesses, and flag that image for an expert to look at.

I think I made a mistake, can I go back?

You cannot go back, but don’t worry! The same photo is assessed by multiple people, so your answer will be combined with the answers of other volunteers. Mistakes are outweighed by a majority of correct answers after showing the image to many people.

Why are there some pictures without any animals?

The cameras are triggered by any movement, including falling leaves, waving grass, or patches of sunlight. Sometimes an animal activates the sensor but moves out of the shot so quickly that the camera doesn't capture it. If you don't see any animals in a photo, just select "Nothing here" and move on!

How do I identify more than one animal in a photo?

Go through the process of identifying the first animal and click “identify.” This will bring you back to the classification screen, where you can identify the next animal. When you are finished identifying all of the animals in the photo, click the “Done” button at the bottom.

What if I see an animal that is not on your list?

First, double-check that the animal is not on the list already. We have some broad categories like “reptile/amphibian (other),” “bird,” and “rodent (other)” that may apply. Otherwise, if you know the species select the category that applies to the animal and when you finish with the classification, click the “Talk” button. Tag the photo with the hashtag #new-species and the species that you think it is. We regularly read the “Talk” section, and our scientists will record the correct species when we see this hashtag.

How do I tell the scientists about something in the image?

We want to know if you see something interesting or unique in a photo! You may see animals with injuries or displaying interesting behaviors, hunters or community members, or just a beautifully composed photo. When you finish classifying the photo, click the “Talk” button and tell us about it. Add a note about the subject and mark it with a #hashtag to make it easier for us to search by keyword.

I have other questions, who can I contact?

The Zooniverse "Talk" forum is a great place to ask questions. Our scientists will be active in the discussion boards and will answer as many questions as possible, but fellow Zooniverse volunteers also offer good tips in the forum. If you really need our attention promptly, put @team in the message.

How can I see the results of this project?

We will upload our findings under the "Results" tab.

Why are some of the dates on the images wrong? I don't think it's the year 2032 yet...

Good catch! Some camera traps malfunctioned with battery changes and reset the date to something random! This is a learning process for everyone involved, and future deployments should be better!

Thank you for helping identify and conserve South Sudan's wildlife!