About the Snapshot Initiative
Snapshot Global is a project that, since 2019, has been dedicated to the study of medium and large sized mammals through standardized, collaborative, and long-term monitoring.
The Snapshot initiative is currently active in the United States, Japan, Europe, Paraguay, Brazil, and Chile. For more information about Snapshot projects, click here..
What is Snapshot Chile?
The Snapshot Chile Project is a collaborative, countrywide effort to monitor mammal populations using standardized camera trap methods.
The invitation is open to academic institutions, NGOs, foundations, public services, companies, and individuals with experience in camera traps to participate in this major project.
This second edition aims to engage enough collaborators to cover the widest possible range of ecosystems across Chile, enabling the generation of representative indicators at the national level.
National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) and Snapshot Chile
A systematic monitoring program is implemented across state-protected areas administered by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), incorporating camera traps in 35 units (national parks, national reserves, and natural monuments) spanning all regions of Chile. This camera trap monitoring is conducted annually by the rangers of each unit, with the aim of assessing the status of conservation targets and threats present in each area. The resulting data is publicly available through the following platform.
Following the recent establishment of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (Law 21.600), data obtained from monitoring programs in CONAF-administered protected areas will become part of the functional dataset of this new agency. Similarly, mammal data collected across the country through Snapshot Chile will complement and contribute to the work of this public service, and will be integrated into its online camera trap monitoring platform.
Explore some of the records collected during the 2025 initiative!
Join us and be part of Snapshot Chile 2026!
Protocol
- Objective: Large-scale study to conduct annual assessments of mammal populations using camera traps distributed throughout the country.
- Sampling period: Cameras must be deployed between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026.
- Sampling points: Camera traps must be deployed at a minimum of 15 different locations within the study area. The goal is to achieve a minimum of 400 trap-nights.
- Installation: Cameras must be spaced a minimum of 200 meters and a maximum of 5,000 meters apart. Cameras must be installed at knee height (approximately 20 to 50 cm above the ground) and oriented parallel to the slope.
- Camera Traps: Use camera models with a trigger speed equal to or less than 0.5 seconds and infrared capability.
- Cameras must be set to photo mode, not video mode. Hybrid mode (photos and video) should not be used either.
- Bait: No type of bait or other scent attractants is allowed.
The detailed protocol instructions can be found here:
ProtocolSignup
Through the following link you can access the registration form to join the 2026 Snapshot Chile initiative:
Registration FormSnapshot 2025 Sampling Sites
This interactive map displays the sites that were part of the 2025 Snapshot initiative.
Coordinated by
Governance Partnership Network
Associated Laboratories and Projects
Contact
- If you have any questions about Snapshot Chile, please contact us at the following email, and we will respond as soon as possible.
- contacto@snapshot-chile.com
