Can You Identify This?

[Plays In The Dirt]

In keeping with Yuccahead's "What Is This" thread I thought that I'd share something I found way out in the desert one day. I stood and looked at it - walked around it - and even got close and took the lid off of one of the white 5 gallon buckets that were buried there and just couldn't figure-out what it's for or what it's supposed to do.

Anyone got a clue?

[reptilist]

Drift fence/small animal trap...Herpetologists are sometimes licensed to put those out to study reptile populations. Lizards follow the fencing into the traps. The lids were secured onto the buckets indicating that the trap is not in use right now (waiting for spring).
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/mido ... tfence.htm

[TradClimber]

PITD – very interesting.

Appears to be some type of trap for small creature(s). The green fences would herd the creature to the collection buckets. The lid was probably supported by the wood and/or pvc pipe a short distance above the bucket with the bungee cord attached to the lid. It might have had some type of triggering mechanism for the bungee cords to close the lid.

The trap appears to abandoned by the owner(s). It is still somewhat functional and can trap whatever that is small in the area. If the creature couldn’t get out – it would be doomed.

If this is a trap, you might want to contact the authorities in the area. I doubt it is legal.

Can you provide more info/photos?

TradClimber

[TradClimber]

Dang!

Rep beat me to the punch by a few minutes! The above was posted without knowledge of Rep's post.

TC

[Plays In The Dirt]

PITD – very interesting.
If this is a trap, you might want to contact the authorities in the area. I doubt it is legal.

Can you provide more info/photos?

TradClimber

Thanks Rep and TradClimber for your responses - Interesting. As far as more info what would you like? Now these Photos are a little over two years old but I know approximately where this is/was. Perhaps I'll take a little drive there tomorrow and look around and see if I can find it.

For what purpose would someone want to trap small animals - lizards and such?

[Plays In The Dirt]

For what purpose would someone want to trap small animals - lizards and such?[/color]

Doh! I guess I should've read Rep's link first. So who in the heck would be way out there studying reptiles and why?

[Plays In The Dirt]

And would turtles fall-in to the traps or are they smarter than that?

[reptilist]

Herpetologists!
They like to put their traps where they will not be disturbed by curious people....Way out yonder!
When the traps are in use, they check them every day....It's all about research.