PIT Tag
Definition
Passive integrated transponder: a small RFID chip implanted under the skin of tagged sea turtles. Can be scanned from a carcass even after considerable decomposition, potentially linking a seized individual to an existing tagging database record.
- Full name
- Passive Integrated Transponder
- Technology
- RFID chip implanted under the skin
- Species use
- Sea turtle tagging and identification
- Post-mortem readability
- Scannable even after considerable decomposition
Common questions
How does a PIT tag help build a case against wildlife traffickers?+
If the scanned tag number matches a record in a research or conservation database, investigators can show the seized turtle came from a specific tagging location or population, supporting charges tied to protected populations or export routes.
Why might a PIT tag fail to be detected in a seized animal?+
The chip can migrate from its implant site, be removed deliberately, or sit outside the range of a handheld scanner, so a negative scan does not prove the animal was never tagged and investigators may need imaging to locate it.
Related terms
- Hawksbill (Eretmochelys Imbricata)
- The sea turtle species that produces tortoiseshell. Distinguishable by its narrow pointed beak, overlapping (imbricate) scutes, and four pairs of lateral scutes....
- Imbricate vs Juxtaposed Scutes
- Hawksbill scutes overlap like roof tiles (imbricate); green and most other sea turtle scutes meet edge-to-edge without overlapping (juxtaposed). This difference is...
- Mitochondrial Haplotype
- A specific variant of mitochondrial DNA sequence. Because mitochondria are inherited maternally, haplotypes track female lineages and cluster by nesting rookery in...
- Natal Homing
- The behavior by which female sea turtles return to the beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs. This produces strong...
- Scute
- An individual plate of keratinous shell that overlaps with its neighbors on the outer carapace of a sea turtle. Count, arrangement, and...