StripeSpotter: A Barcode Scanner for Zebras

by L. E. Carmichael

You've probably heard about scientists using photos of whale flukes to identify individual humpbacks. Did you know that a similar strategy is being used to count and identify zebras? Originally called StripeSpotter, it's a barcode scanner. A barcode scanner for zebras.

I'm going to pause to let that sink in, because the mental image is just hilarious and I would hate to deny you some Friday giggles. :D

Basically how it works is, scientists take a photo of the zebras. They feed the photo into StripeSpotter, and the computer finds unique characteristics in the stripe pattern of the zebra's coat. Any time that zebra is photographed again, it can then be checked against the database and identified.

This is supercool, because, unlike supermarket barcode scanners, where you have to hold the package at just the right angle while doing a little dance for the scanner gods, StripeSpotter works on "noisy" pictures. The kind that you're likely to get when shooting long-distance photos of a whole herd of zebras while riding a bouncy jeep across a dusty savanna. StripeSpotter also works on spotty animals, like giraffes, so it's flexible too.

Why does this matter, you ask? There are lots of reasons scientists need to know which animal they're looking at. For one thing, being able to identify individual animals makes it possible to count them. Counting helps scientists figure out whether a population is growing or shrinking, and, by extension, whether the species is endangered. It's also really helpful to know what individual animals are doing out there in the wild - whether they migrate or stay put, what they're eating, whether they are reproducing... the possibilities are both important and endless.

For more info on the technology and what it's being used for, click here. And for more info on zebras, check out Zebra Migration, for ages 6-9!