Home security cameras as a tool for behavior observations and science affordability

Reliably capturing transient animal behavior in the field and laboratory remains a logistical and financial challenge, especially for small ectotherms. Here, we evaluate home security cameras as affordable, accessible and suitable alternatives for monitoring small, cold-blooded animals historically overlooked by commercial camera traps. These cameras are often lightweight, weather-resistant, operate offline or online, store data continuously for up to four weeks and can use phone notifications over local Wi-Fi to alert users to behaviorally relevant events. We first benchmark a representative home security camera against an established trail camera under matched laboratory conditions in both continuous and motion-triggered modes, comparing event detection, recording duration, and missed-event rates. We then validate the system during a 1.5-month deployment in a tropical primary rainforest, assessing weather durability, sensitivity-versus-data-volume trade-offs, and whether behavioral measurements obtained in the laboratory are reproducible under natural conditions. We discuss the relative affordability of our system for researchers in the Global South, home to the largest ectotherm diversity.