Abstract
Photographic identification of individuals using natural physical markings provides important information for studying wildlife population demographics. The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii, FYLF) is a species with unique chin-spot patterns that researchers currently identify through manual comparison of photographs in search of matching markings. However, these commonly employed methods, which can involve manually comparing many hundreds of images, are both time consuming and potentially inaccurate. In this project, we address this problem by defining a process that automates the identification of FYLF individuals from images using MATLAB-based image processing and pattern recognition techniques. We tested the process using replica frogs with patterns based on actual FYLF chin-spot patterns. This method effectively found matches in frogs when the individual spots had complex shapes. However, the process less effectively recognized patterns that were based primarily on spot location. This project provides several valuable tools researchers can use to identify FYLF individuals and can be the foundation for a more optimal system.