The results are in for our fifth year of participation in Snapshot USA, a nationwide mammal survey initiative! We deployed 45 camera traps in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury in early September, collecting them and their image-filled memory cards at the end of October. After working with our student and volunteer scientists to identify the critters in the thousands and thousands of images we collected, all that remains is to share what we found.
In accordance with the Smithsonian's new project-wide recommendations, outlined in this September Blog Post, we deployed more cameras for longer and captured more images than in any of our previous years participating in this project (Table 1).
Table 1. Survey Effort and Results from Snapshot USA 2025
| Camera Arrays | 3 |
| Camera Locations | 45 |
| Camera Nights | 2,031 |
| Photos Taken | 125,882 |
| Unique Animals Identified | 7,111 |
| Total Species Identified | 21 |
| Mammalian Species Identified | 9 |
* Bold indicates record high for that category.
Despite the increased monitoring effort, we did not capture any new mammalian species this year, and it will likely come as no surprise that white-tailed deer, domestic dogs, eastern gray squirrels, and eastern cottontails were our four most frequently photographed mammals across all camera locations (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. # of unique detections for each species across all deployments in 2025
Figure 2. % of cameras that detected each species across all deployments in 2025
This year’s detection frequencies align well with what we’ve seen across all five years of the project (Figure 3).
Figure 3. % of cameras that detected each species across all years of the project (2021-2025)
What is more interesting is comparing the frequency of detections in the two different habitat types we monitor. Our Edgartown and Oak Bluffs arrays both monitor anthropogenic (human-use) habitats, while our West Tisbury array monitors forested habitat. (Figures 4,5, and 6).
Figure 4. Camera deployments in the Edgartown anthropogenic array in 2025
Figure 5. Camera deployments in the Oak Bluffs anthropogenic array in 2025
Figure 6. Camera Deployments in the West Tisbury forested array in 2025
Figure 7. % of cameras that detected each species by habitat type across all years of the project (2021-2025)
While we are cautious to avoid drawing conclusions from this dataset, it is perfect for inspiring scientific inquiry among teachers, students, and our readers. It is interesting to note which species have been detected more in one habitat (deer, dogs, and cottontails) and which species have been detected evenly across both habitats (squirrels and raccoons) (Figure 7). After five years of participation in Snapshot USA, we have accumulated (and continue to accumulate) a robust dataset on mammal presence, distribution, and to some degree, abundance in these three towns. This data set will become more and more interesting and valuable over time.
On a more personal note, it has been fun seeing Snapshot USA become an established BiodiversityWorks program these past couple of years. Every fall, I look forward to working closely with students, introducing them to the field of Wildlife Biology, and connecting with our growing team of volunteers, who clearly enjoy camera trapping as much as I do. It is gratifying to work on a project that gets so many people involved with the wildlife in their backyards (literally, in some cases: eight of our deployments this year were in staff or volunteer yards). And it's enormously satisfying to participate in gathering valuable data that’s being used to answer pressing research questions nationwide. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the teachers who welcome us into their classrooms, the volunteers who assist in identification of thousands of photos, and the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation, which provided generous funding. As we begin drawing Snapshot USA 2025 to a close, I will leave you with some of my favorite photos from this year’s project
This white-tailed deer fawn seems very suspicious of the camera
An attractive striped skunk captured in Edgartown
This curious Northern raccoon got up close and personal with our camera
This Eastern gray squirrel was caught testing its hypothesis that squirrels CAN fly
These two wild turkeys were caught in an altercation while a third turkey at the left of the screen wondered whether it should intervene
This unidentified accipiter was photographed capturing its lunch (we think a small cottontail)
This was the first image of a red-tailed hawk captured during our five years participating in Snapshot USA
This is American crow seems to have been photographed with a Dorito in it's mouth. We wonder if it had stolen a student's lunch from the nearby school
