Snapshot Serengeti Talk

How's it going everyone?

  • arfon by arfon

    We're pretty excited to see this project launch. Welcome!

    Posted

  • cyzaki by cyzaki

    Hello Arfon! I'm loving this! I've seen zebra, and hartebeest, and a hippo... and bits of something that I think was a lion...

    Posted

  • ArvTheNorman by ArvTheNorman

    Its great, love all these animals..

    Posted

  • mothnflame by mothnflame

    I had my 12th birthday in Kenya almost 40 years ago. It was an incredible trip, and this is such a great way to get a taste of being back there, but also to help out. I have to see if I can do this on my cell phone, then I can kill time on my commute by checking out what the animals are up to.

    Thanks for setting this up, I've sent the link on to some friends and family who might want to help out.

    Posted

  • pamf08 by pamf08

    Hi, this is good fun on a wintry night! What do you do when you think you can see animals on the horizon but you can't identify them... ignore presumably? Pam

    Posted

  • arfon by arfon

    I've been trying to identify them as best I can.

    Posted

  • cyzaki by cyzaki

    I've just been going 'hmm... looks a bit... gazelly...'

    Posted

  • alan1001 by alan1001

    I'm a galaxy zoo regular usually, this is great - the interface is really smooth. I like the identification prompts very much too. From my experience it helps to know that several other people will be viewing the same image so not to worry too much if precise identification is not possible.
    Are you sure this isn't sponsored by the Serengeti tourist board? I'm thinking of booking a holiday...

    Posted

  • glewald by glewald

    Things freeze when I start the "Classification walk-through".
    Any suggestions? Others seem to be getting past.

    Posted

  • vjb by vjb

    This is really cool. Lots of animals. I always try to choose something so they don't ignore the picture entirely--it's reallllly hard to tell what kind of hyena is sniffing the camera when you only get half of his/her face very up close and personal. I figure there will be other captures before and after that will be identified so hyena (or aardwolf?) researchers will have a look at a series. Don't say nothing is there if there is something.

    Posted

  • jim_vankirk by jim_vankirk

    Ok so I'm brand new and wouldn't you know it there's a small problem. I'm doing the initial training slides and I notice another Wildebeest standing just to the left of the Zebras. No problem except that if I count 2 animals with one standing still and the other moving I don't see how to log it.
    Jim

    Posted

  • sheilasmail by sheilasmail

    vjb - that's an interesting comment. It's also been my inclination is to identify something. It would be great if there was a "something" choice - I have seen a few whiskery bits that are totally unidentifiable.

    Posted

  • kosmala by kosmala scientist

    Jim: Please select '2' for the number and then select both 'standing' and 'moving' from the behaviors.

    Posted

  • alan1001 by alan1001

    One suggestion (if I may be so bold...) when you bring up a "may be confused with" animal it would be useful to be able to jump directly to it by clicking on it, rather than having to cancel and start again. It'll get less important as I become more of an expert in savanna fauna I suppose... πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • ejbmanning by ejbmanning

    Argh! Those wafting grasses = motion but no mammals...

    Posted

  • mariahdab by mariahdab

    I am having so much fun...was delighted to find an elephant walking right up against the camera. I have been been taking a wild guess at identifying the items in the distant horizon, those really close-up, and the night eyes in the darkness...no promises on these ones!

    Posted

  • smallvillenews by smallvillenews

    Love this new venture!! Just seen a cheetah!

    Posted

  • bamford by bamford

    I am allowed to say this is way better than Galaxy Zoo?!? πŸ˜‰

    Posted

  • dsaum by dsaum

    what do you do if there are more than one kind of animals in a frame?

    Posted

  • stan_cox by stan_cox

    Hi all. So, if i click to get three frames (bottom left) & there are definately a couple of buffalo in one of the shots but not the one I was presented with. Do I count them or mark "nothing here" as the frame I was presented with is empty?

    Posted

  • CaitStevens by CaitStevens

    This is killing my productivity at work...

    Posted

  • jules by jules

    This is very addictive! Lots of wilderbeest and zebra so far. πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • jules by jules

    This is very addictive! Lots of wilderbeest and zebra so far including a lovely close up of a very attractive zebra!. Lovely problem-free interface (too for me anyway.)

    Posted

  • jules by jules

    Apologies for the double post - posts seem to be taking a while to show. :-\

    Posted

  • sremsen by sremsen

    Great--but my one suggestion--if I identify something in an image, I want to see what other people have identified it as, after I've submitted it to make it more of a game.

    A little data spreadsheet could pop up:

    80% Thompson's Gazelle
    20% Grant's Gazelle

    Posted

  • sremsen by sremsen

    I also wish there was a button for "there's something here but I don't know what"

    I have two glowing eyes at night but no way to mark it

    Posted

  • CHommel by CHommel

    Hi, Czaki,

    Are all the old weather folk sneaking over here when they get seasick?

    C.

    Posted

  • chesnorman by chesnorman

    I am loving this, each new picture is like Christmas morning! Can't wait to see what I'll ifnd

    Posted

  • faythy by faythy

    I think this is fab and can see me spending hour after hour on it.

    Posted

  • katherineslive.co.uk by katherineslive.co.uk

    This is super! Keep trying to shut it down but revert to it. So far I've seen a huge group of baboons, several cheetah, a lovely shot of a researcher's bottom, a lion cub that looks like it's playing with it's mom, giraffs, several hippos, fire at night, elephants, a honey badger, foxes, hyenas and much much more. Yes, certainly makes me want to visit the park!

    Posted

  • schaep by schaep

    maybe some more options as indeed said previously to tag a picture as not empty but unidentifiable by us non-experts? as maybe an expert could recognize better?
    Or an option like to check a picture as "could be more accurate with high resolution", so you scientist know which ones to look at?
    And I've seen a couple of good closeups of grass / leaves / plants just in front of the camera. Haven't caught any insects yet, but can't select insects either. Or like when a spider is walking across the lense? I expect to see some of those pictures too πŸ˜ƒ.

    Posted

  • dearnold by dearnold

    This is very addictive (I didn't need another project right now, but...............). As a photographer who has been in Africa, this is a real treat to help out. But, please add a zoom capability. Even though these aren't terrifically high resolution, zooming in still helps with shapes.

    Posted

  • catxx by catxx

    Thanks guys, now I'm never going to get anything else done. Totally addicted.

    Posted

  • Angel_48 by Angel_48

    I am loving this, I think I even found a flying saucer, glowing above a herd of wildebeast LOL. Don't know how to post a picture here though.

    Posted

  • izizou by izizou

    Hi, I am taking a great holliday from home!!!
    One suggestion: could you go straight to the next photo when we press "Finish" instead of us having to click again in the same place on "next picture"? The "Next Picture" seem an un-necessary step.
    It would speed it up a tad, and save some wrist -pain.
    Also, what happens when we press "discuss" iover a picture and leave a comment? Do they get read and answered by anybody?
    Thanks, πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • rphubbard by rphubbard

    "Finish" seems to mean exactly that; push the button and that's the end! Have to restart to get the next image. Too many hits?

    Posted

  • cathread by cathread

    This is great. I should be sleeping but can't drag myself away. Just another chance to see a big cat.....or hippo....or giraffe

    Posted

  • izizou by izizou

    @rphubbard: I understand that "Finish" means "Finish", I would just like the next picture to come up automatically, without me having to click "Next capture". I don't remember ahving to click for the next picture on the Cancer Research Cell project nor the Planet Hunter project. I think the next one comes up automatically. It would be great if it was automatic here as well...

    Posted

  • dangove by dangove

    It is not working, finish does nothing, and refresh restarts but does not show in profile so thinking my time is wasted trying to help

    Posted

  • davidrools by davidrools

    I'm having a lot of fun with this project. Can't wait to spot some lions or the more rare animals on the list.

    I might feel a bit better if there was a button for "grass swaying in the wind" instead of clicking "nothing here" so often.

    Posted

  • kbrudvik by kbrudvik

    This is cool. My "Finish" button doesn't seem to work though. It doesn't advance to the next capture series. Is it a Chrome browser problem?

    Posted

  • izizou by izizou

    @kbrudvik: I use Firefox. When I press "Finish", the button changes to a green "Next capture" button (same place as the "Finish"). I click it then get the next picture.
    Can't say for Chrome, sorry.

    Posted

  • katieofoz by katieofoz

    By far my favourite zooniverse project so far

    Posted

  • cbrinkworth by cbrinkworth

    Anyone else finding it impossible to click through the FINISH button on the classification walkthrough? I click the button, but nothing at all happens.

    Posted

  • Angel_48 by Angel_48

    Hi stan_cox, you count any animal you see in any frames you see. It sometimes helps to click the play button to see if the animal is moving or standing. Have fun. πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Angel_48 by Angel_48

    Hi cbrinkworth there seems to be a problem with finishing the tutorial, I had the same problem also but just clicked the x to close it, and started classifying.

    Posted

  • SirSchumii by SirSchumii

    I really need help .. I think i found a wildebeest hunted by a lion. It is just hard to be sure. But i cant emagine what it else should be ..
    it is here and on 1 pic the wildebeest are just in the picture at the right with the lion/??..

    I also saw an elephant in the dark while a star shoot was on the sky c",) so fine to see all this xD
    All my pins = http://pinterest.com/sirschumii/pins/

    Posted

  • Mroger$ by Mroger$

    This is really fun. But what to do when I see something is there but I cannot identify it? I'm doing my best, and I hope it helps to narrow the number of photos the scientists have to go through. Good luck!

    Posted

  • aliburchard by aliburchard scientist, translator

    You're exactly right -- just give each poto your best bet. Your answers will be combined with those of other users, and we'll use the combined answers to make an authoritative id on the photo. So don't worry too much if you're unsure. You can also check out the FAQ (under the help board) for more detailed information.

    Posted

  • yagerp by yagerp

    Great project! I seem to be having a problem moving on as I don't have a 'next capture' button. If I click finish nothing happens using both Firefox and IE.

    Posted

  • interitus by interitus

    Great! I just found my first Cheetah. He's just chilling right in front of the camera.

    My only suggestion would be a "unknown" classification. A few times I've seen things moving, but something obscures the shape and colour. I can see -something- is there. But trying to get any sort of shape out of it is next to impossible.

    Posted

  • Sheryl0 by Sheryl0

    A new Snapshot doesn't load when I click 'Finish'. Any tips? I'm on a Mac using Safari and my cookies are enabled.

    Posted

  • froxx by froxx

    Just started classifying... It's fabulous and very interesting. Great project!

    Posted

  • Malamoucha by Malamoucha

    just want to add a big thank you. Miss my home country. SO this is really great project to help out

    Posted

  • tnaran by tnaran

    Spotted quite a few spotted hyenas. My first warthog (which was exciting! Hakuna matata!). About half-a-dozen lionesses but no male lions yet. I guess that figures considering lionesses do the hunting and the men stay home to act as the "muscle" to deal with threats to the pride. Getting good at telling the gazelles apart finally. The rump really helps. πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • GeoffRoynon by GeoffRoynon

    I've found a couple of horses but they're not in the list so had to use "zebra" to classify. Why don't we have an "unknown" category?

    Posted

  • EathAngel by EathAngel

    Love it, am now well and truly addicted. Me and my boss arnt really doing work in the office today! Still hoping for a honey badger!!! One of my fav animals. Great project.

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator

    I am so loving this project! Every new image is a little mystery present - what will I see this time?! πŸ˜„ So far, in addition to all the zebras, wildebeest and gazelle, I've seen an aardwolf, a hare, a mongoose, a couple of Kori Bustards, some lions lounging around in the shade next to the camera, a couple of elephants at night, a few giraffes, a couple of hippos, a few warthogs, several hyenas, and a few buffalo. Fascinating, and totally addictive!

    Posted

  • phraps by phraps

    Saw my first lion, guinea fowl, and secretary bird... also founda few curious gazelles that were licking the camera πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • remcodekok by remcodekok

    Hi! Really cool project! Just wanted to say the hashtag links to the left don't work, or are they not supposed to link to pictures?

    Posted

  • Nikki_Goldblatt by Nikki_Goldblatt

    I'm a Galaxy Zoo user, stopped by today to try out Snapshot Serengeti & it's very enjoyable. The interface is beautiful & the amount of animals I am seeing is surprising me - as is the quality of most of the pictures, this really is a pleasurable 'task'. I've shared some of my images to Facebook & explained the new project to family & friends. I think that this is also the most natural identification task we could possibly have, Galaxy Zoo-wise - millions of years of evolution have gone towards humans being very, very good at spotting and identifying animals! The moving effect (on most shots) of having three frames makes this even easier. My three year old by my side (in the UK) is getting the obvious ones in a second's glance (apart from the elephant's legs he identified as a dinosaur)!

    Posted

  • sheilasmail by sheilasmail

    How can we access the trending hashtags?

    Posted

  • Nikki_Goldblatt by Nikki_Goldblatt

    just want to add - I'm using Chrome on a MacBook & the tutorial and everything else work fine for me.

    For the people asking earlier about why it doesn't advance to the next photo after you click 'finish', you need the extra step here if you want to share the image via facebook etc, or click on 'discuss' to add hashtags or comments. Then you are ready to go to the next image.

    I am finding it hard to find my way from viewing a photo & comments etc, back to my own images (you have to click 'back to classifying' and then 'profile' which is a bit counter-intuitive and confusing as there is different use of 'profile' on the talk.snapshotseregeti side). And I too wish you could click on the hashtags & see all such tagged images.

    Posted

  • Veegee by Veegee

    I'm loving it! Quite a difference than identifying galaxies. Seen lots of animals, love the ones that stick their faces practically in the camera.
    Mis-identified an entire heard of impala, no males, and had a hard time figuring them out, now I know, sorry πŸ˜ƒ My only suggestion would be a
    'restart' button, as a couple of times, just as I was starting to click submit, I saw something else, but it was too late to go back and change.

    Posted

  • cyzaki by cyzaki

    I've accidentally clicked 'finish' after identifying the zebra but before identifying the wildebeest a couple of times, so I agree with Veegee, it would be nice to be able to go back.

    Posted

  • wolfsubzero by wolfsubzero

    This is brilliant! But has anyone else seen the guy playing golf?

    Posted

  • mascan by mascan

    Wow, this is way too addicting!

    Posted

  • Zoharial by Zoharial

    I think there should be an "animal in picture is unidentifiable" button. I feel bad about marking "nothing here" when there's clearly eyeshine, or something moving on the horizon, or a shape in one of the night shots that could be one of three or four different species.

    Posted

  • haake by haake

    This is a great project! Hope we can help. The choices to be made are good chosen. Except that I am also missing a "there is something" button.

    Posted

  • BugNerd by BugNerd

    Love it!

    Posted

  • tumbleworld by tumbleworld

    I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity to help out with this. It's such a beautiful place, and it's lovely to see some of the local life free of idiotic TV voice-over scripts and gratuitous anthropomorphism!

    Posted

  • anned75 by anned75

    I love this site. I've seen zebras, gazelles, lionesses (i think), a group of buffalo (which was really cool), and the weird chicken bird (whatever it's called). I love this site.

    Posted

  • Janet_Jaguar by Janet_Jaguar

    Will someone please explain the Comments part of Talk? Since there are no explanations or instructions in the tutorial, I'm assuming they are part of the social discussion board. But the ones I've written have dropped into a black hole, I can't find my own or anything by anyone else, and there are no instructions or explanations on this page either. And why the list of hashtags that don't link?

    I'm too old to enjoy the modern social pages, so am coming in to this completely naive. I need a beginner's course on it.

    Posted

  • maggiemflynn by maggiemflynn

    I love this site. I've seen lions, a cheetah, giraffes, elephants, and a hippo. Of course, I've also seen the regulars - zebras, gazelles, etc. You did a good job on this site - it's easy to use, and easy to narrow down what an animal might be. I'm really enjoying this and it's nice to know it's useful also.

    Posted

  • sbpj by sbpj

    I think I saw a man shoot something. However, in the magnifying the whole screen to check, then minimising to get to the 3 movement dots and then remagnifying to see next bit, a couple of times I must have clicked on something else because the screen went in on itself and opened to another camera shot. I can't get it back! Could the pix please have some sort of reference number?

    For the experts in the field there was a tree in the middle of the shot and back left - right on the lhs margin - there was a tree with a fallen log between it and "us" and a man behind it leaning slightly forward (facing to the right) with his right arm bent at the elbow ( I was magnifying to see if there was a rifle barrel) further right there was a mound of something on the ground and I think I saw it just twitch. Then the **** screen died on me as I said above.

    I shall put this on another board as well.

    Posted

  • katherineslive.co.uk by katherineslive.co.uk

    I'm having a whale of a time. But increasingly curious about how you guys think we're doing? Have you guys done a dip test on quality yet? Are we pretty good at classifying correctly? Or tons of mistakes? I sense from the blog that you guys are impressed at how fast this is going. That, and the progress bars on the home page makes me worried that we're gonna be done too soon for my liking. πŸ˜ƒ Have you guys got other seasons or projects you can throw at us when we're done?

    Posted

  • SimonV2 by SimonV2

    how many pictures are there to sort through?

    Posted

  • rheineman by rheineman

    I just started yesterday and have been having a great time. Love seeing elephants, even if it's just a trunk or a leg. I've seen a few babies too, which makes slogging through the "nothing here"'s totally worth it.

    Posted

  • pollencja by pollencja

    It's feel like i'm watching nature through a peep hole- it's insanely beautiful sometimes.Also, some very good shots have come out of this, I would love to see them exhibited somewhere!

    Posted

  • dr._how by dr._how

    I have two questions:
    1 How do you distinguish a field when there are more than on species present e.g. zebra and wilderbeasts?

    2 What should I enter when I can see an animal there but its too dark or indistinct to identify it?

    Posted

  • yarmot by yarmot

    This website is annoying. Click on say "discuss" or "blog" then go back to site and you are always logged out and have to log back in again. Also I have identified an Oryx and a Steinbok but these animals are not an option. I lived in Kenya for 6 years so know and recognise most animals. Giving up!

    Posted

  • angiemac by angiemac

    Thoroughly enjoying myself. What are projects 1 2 and 3? Are the photos changed on a regular basis because there are some that seem to repeat. Also sometimes it would be nice if we could say multiple classifications. I see zebra and wildebeest a lot and today I saw gazelle witha lioness in the background.

    Posted

  • kasabugu by kasabugu

    The site says "Zebra- The Swahili word for zebra means "striped donkey" and that’s exactly what this animal looks like." Wrong! The Swahili for a zebra is "Punda Milia" which translated is "Donkey that Cries" the sound that they make.

    Posted

  • vicstick75 by vicstick75

    I'm really loving this, and so's my 7YO son! Since yesterday, we've seen elephants (one was playing with the camera!), zebras, giraffes, lots of wildebeest, various gazelles, a hyena, a dikdik, hartebeasts, guinea fowl...and notibly, a cheetah's bottom. It really is brilliant when you find a beautiful shot or identify an animal you havn't seen before.

    I wish there was a "can't identify" option. I've seen photos showing only the tip of some horns or a close-up view of some fur, or where there are animals grazing in the distance but I can't make out what they are. Each time, I've made a (probably hugely inaccurate) guess because I don't want to mark the photo "nothing here".

    Posted

  • jclegg by jclegg

    Having great fun here and a fantastic idea. I look forward to hearing about the follow-up research once the identify process is complete.

    Posted

  • chalyse by chalyse

    angiemac you can always make multiple IDs on one shot or series ... after you make the first ID you'll see it show up in the upper left corner of the shot. Then, just go back to the animal-grid panel on the right and start making new selections there. You will find that after you identify your second type of animal, the "identify" button again becomes active. Click it and you will see the next animal species added below the first on the upper left side of the shot. And, so on, with as many types of animals as can be ID'd in the photos.

    Posted

  • katherineslive.co.uk by katherineslive.co.uk

    Have you guys seen that we're being mentioned on BBC?! Pretty cool. Love that they say that they've discovered general public is as good at classifying species as scientists are. Probably not quite true, but is nice to hear and certainly indicates we're doing worthwhile work here.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20678794

    Posted

  • vjb by vjb

    If pictures seem to repeat it just that the camera is shooting the same landscape or a series of shots. I went to compare two pictures (thinking that they were shot the same day)--they were shot 2 months apart! And it looked like exactly the same gazelle (or something!) walking by.

    Posted

  • adnhmag by adnhmag

    I’m totally hooked, introduced the site to my design/media students as an example of positive remote observation and the advance of technology in the aid of science. There were a few yawns but I think a few were mulling over applications in their own work...that’s my job and for relaxation I help classify creatures on the Serengeti, glass of wine in hand. I would like some more interface for the vague shots or a short text box but nice job. I am the Art Director at Natural History so if any one would like contact us about an article please let me know.

    Posted

  • lukeironblade by lukeironblade

    I love all of the animals of Tanzania

    Posted

  • Janet_Jaguar by Janet_Jaguar

    by kasabugu The site says "Zebra- The Swahili word for zebra means
    "striped donkey" and that’s exactly what this animal looks like."
    Wrong! The Swahili for a zebra is "Punda Milia" which translated is
    "Donkey that Cries" the sound that they make.

    Right, this is from Online Etymology Dictionary

    zebra (n.)
    c.1600, from It. zebra, perhaps via Portuguese, earlier applied to a now-extinct wild ass, said to be Congolese [OED], or Amharic [Klein], but perhaps ultimately from L. equiferus "wild horse," from equus "horse" (see equine) + ferus (see fierce).

    Posted

  • izizou by izizou

    I am enjoying this so much, and so are my 15 and 12 year-old sons. The frist zooniverse project where the task is pretty easy and very rewarding...
    We feel like we've been camping on the Savannah for 2 days. The great photos comes often enough that you always want to do 5 more before you stop, then 5 more, then 5 more...The uninteresting ones can be dismissed quickly.
    It beats trying to determine if a circle on the moon is a crater or a volcano for enjoyement value.
    My only regret: seeing as how the green bar progresses on Project 1, 2 and 3, this will be over before the end of the week!!
    Give us more...

    Posted

  • Awakethetrees by Awakethetrees

    I really like it, like if I'm really there..somehow

    Posted

  • Elizabeth.Ann by Elizabeth.Ann moderator

    izizou: We are working on getting season 4 up! The response to this project has been amazing!

    Posted

  • ejbmanning by ejbmanning

    Whoa! Be sure to click the 3 picture pan option : I had an empty veldt in pix 1 but then ZIP went a zebra in 2 and 3

    Posted

  • phillipj by phillipj

    Grass, grass, rock, grass, zebra, grass, wildebeest, thompsons gazelle, I'm getting addicted, you just never know what's coming next

    Posted

  • jbedient by jbedient

    Great project. It's keeping me off Facebook and away from the TV! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Bwilsoned by Bwilsoned

    Has anyone seen what looks like a bat feeding at night? I'm classifying right now on the west coast of U.S. (1819 hours; 14Dec12)

    Posted

  • Ady_Random by Ady_Random

    Hi!....from UK here.....brilliant page this......listening to music and finding things on here........how many photos are there all together?.....and i cant work out this "section" thing with the progress bar.......any help?

    have a great day.

    Posted

  • zookeeper by zookeeper admin

    I think there are about a million images in the site right now - we have more on the way!

    They're split into 'seasons' - time periods. I believe season 4 is waiting and season 5 is waiting to be collected from the field.

    Chris

    Posted

  • Aznar by Aznar

    I love this project, but it's very addicting! It's easy to look up and find a couple of hours have passed.

    Posted

  • gildawalls by gildawalls

    I'm really enjoying this project. It looks to me that zebras and wildebeasts seem to get along together. They seem to be feeding in the same pastures very often. I'm not familiar with many of the animals and am grateful for the opportunity to learn about them.

    Posted

  • hdevos by hdevos

    Hi -- I made the mistake of posting a comment in the FAQ section, so am reposting here: I would love to be able to look at images ( excepting the 'nothing there' ones) which have already been removed from circulation because enough of a concensus was reached. Just for my enjoyment. They would probably be the clearer images, and probably some of the most spectacular ones. You could group them under a separate tab, and without any identify button. Thank you in advance for considering this suggestion!

    Posted

  • presofawesome by presofawesome

    This is a really great project, but it seriously needs the ability to zoom into and out of the picture. It gets a bit difficult counting or identifying the far-away animals without said ability.

    Posted

  • christopherschriner by christopherschriner

    I really love the project. Thanks for the opportunity to actually β€œwaste” time in a useful way…

    Posted

  • biminibob by biminibob

    I have loved this. Just sad to see the 3 seasons are almost finished.

    Posted

  • SafariLiz by SafariLiz

    Love this. Can't get to Africa this year, so this is the next best thing.
    Sadly, I had a fantastic photo of a cheetah which I processed before I noticed the favourites button.

    Posted

  • SafariLiz by SafariLiz

    So many of the lions don't show enough to determine male/female.

    Posted

  • mmreding by mmreding

    This has taken me back to my trip to Tanzania in 2008 (including our trip through and above the Serengeti). Have enjoyed every minute of many I've spent classifying!

    Posted

  • rspears12 by rspears12

    OK so I am sure I saw a horse in 3 photos so far. But horses are not in list? Do I ignore?

    Posted

  • SirSchumii by SirSchumii

    How do i see how many clasifications i made so far ?????

    Posted

  • sheilasmail by sheilasmail

    Kinda sad to see we're done. On the other hand, maybe now I can get some work and Christmas shopping done!

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator

    @rspears12 : they were most likely wildebeest - they can look a lot like horses if you can't see their head.

    @SirSchumii : If you go to https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/current (if necessary, log in using the same login info you use here), it'll show you all the Zooniverse projects you are or have been active in, along with the total number of classifications you've completed for each project.

    Posted

  • Ohsoalexzy by Ohsoalexzy

    I am obsessed with classifying. Whoever thought of this is a genius. I have never been to the Serengeti but get to visit everyday. I love birding and nature watching, am from Metropolitan Detroit area of Michigan.

    Posted

  • zanhare by zanhare

    I think it would be helpful to have a side by side caparison feature or a side view/ front view

    Posted

  • ldfluty by ldfluty

    I love it! My favorite image so far of an animal was a tie between an elephant scratching itself and a Hyena reproducing! My favorite human image was of a woman using a weed-eater to cut the grass!

    Posted

  • JennyTake by JennyTake

    What do I put if I only see an ear? Or a leg of something that looks like a lion but I don't know if it is male or female.
    Also if I see a line of animals far off in the horizon - too small to know if they are elephant or some sort of antelope - how do I enter them.
    There was a picture - clearly a group of zebras. There were two other animals - maybe wildebest or buffalo. Do I go on my best guess"

    Posted

  • gwennie71 by gwennie71

    I just wanted to add before this project is completed how enchanted i am by the relationship between zebra and wildebeest and at first I found wildebeest ugly now I find them fascinating and acctually pretty

    Posted

  • gwennie71 by gwennie71

    oops for give the spelling

    Posted

  • gwennie71 by gwennie71

    I also wish they would give you more options such as "something there but can't tell" etc. Oh well I really enjoy this fun to read everyones comments.

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator

    @JennyTake and @gwennie71 - I'm really glad you're enjoying the project. Have to admit I've been utterly hooked since day 1! πŸ˜ƒ

    When it comes to classifying images where the animal is really unclear, yes, what the scientists want is your best guess, even if that's based on very little info. There's a sticky thread that explains this and how it works which you might find helpful:

    Why don't we have an "Unidentifiable" option when classifying photos?

    Posted

  • gwennie71 by gwennie71

    It would be nice if there were a button that let you go back and redo, sometimes when you think you've spotted everything and hit finish you eye catches something you've missed and it would be so nice to cancel and do it over.

    Posted

  • bretarn by bretarn

    devoted to wild life protection, Im delighted to participate on this project. Greetings from France

    Posted

  • horkusone by horkusone

    @gwennie71 - I agree! There have been lots of times where I realize just as I hit "finished" that I missed something in the distance or just got too caught up in the foreground and failed to see all the animals. I would love to be able to redo!

    Posted

  • melanierenaud by melanierenaud in response to arfon's comment.

    I am excited to be involved in this project. today is my first day- question ??? what do you do when the animal is too far away to identify or too close-just a blur. do not see any response for these pics , they are clearly not " nothing there". thanks for your thoughts.

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator in response to melanierenaud's comment.

    Hi melanierenaud - welcome to the project!

    When it comes to classifying images where the animal is really unclear, what the scientists want is your best guess, even if that's based on very little info. There's a sticky thread that explains this and how it works which you might find helpful:

    Why don't we have an "Unidentifiable" option when classifying photos?

    Have fun! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • ahorner58 by ahorner58

    Will there be a season 5? I apologize if this post shows up else where, my post would disappear!

    Posted

  • saturdaze by saturdaze

    How can we access the original photographs? What are the image sizes of the originals?

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator in response to ahorner58's comment.

    I've been trying to find an original post by Craig Packer, one of the scientists, which I think talked about the different seasons, ahorner58, but I'm afraid I haven't been able to track it down. What I do remember him saying is that they currently have funding through to October 2013, so there will definitely be a Season 5 of images to classify (and a Season 6, I think). And if they can obtain further funding to continue the project, further seasons after that one. There will be periods of "down time" between each season's data, but apart from that, this project will keep going as long as they have funding to keep the camera trap project going. πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • kosmala by kosmala scientist in response to ahorner58's comment.

    The original post that talks about the different seasons is here: http://blog.snapshotserengeti.org/2012/12/17/three-million/

    Short answer: yes! Season 5 is sitting on a hard drive out in Serengeti. When Ali finally gets there (looks like she'll finally arrive tomorrow -- http://blog.snapshotserengeti.org/2013/01/21/397/ ), she'll send it back the U.S. and we'll start processing it. I'm hopeful we'll have it up sometime in February.

    Season 6 is snapping away in the field right now.

    And we're applying for funding to continue the study right this minute -- we have a deadline tomorrow, so working hard on revising right now.

    Posted

  • kosmala by kosmala scientist in response to saturdaze's comment.

    Unfortunately, we don't have server space to offer all the original images. Each season is about a half-terrabyte of data. The original images are not that big individually -- about 1-2 MB -- the same size (or smaller) as you would get with your digital camera. But add them all up, and they take up a huge amount of room.

    Posted

  • ahorner58 by ahorner58

    Thank heavens there will be season's 5 and 6! After visiting Kenya this year I have fallen in love with the country! Next up... Serengeti! If I were wealthy I'd make sure funding is always available πŸ˜‰

    Posted

  • AowlanCrystal by AowlanCrystal moderator in response to kosmala's comment.

    Best of luck with geting the funding for future studies, its been great to be involved with the project in some small way, even if I'm sat in a warm home in Midlands of UK, with a few inches of snow outside and more dropping from the sky at this moment, oh and I've a snow sculpture in the garden of a fairly realistic looking lounging 'snow' Leopard, mouth open, showing his teeth! I got some pics too....
    ..but I've really enjoied looking at the warm sunny scenes, while its cold here, takes my mind off the weather here..., but I'm sad, I came on today to do some more and after a short time, it came up with a message saying I'd got to the end, I did wonder as I got several of the images more than once. Looking forward to the 5th season already!!

    Maybe like you did got seasons 1-3 put some back up again, maybe include those that have multiple suggestions, ie: 2 have said Buffalo, 2 have said wilderbeeast and someone else has suggested Rhino, and get a larger concensus of votes on them. and again, I wish you best of luck with getting funding for future studies.

    Posted

  • michele.mks by michele.mks

    This is the most fun I've had since the original Galaxy Zoo! I can't wait for the next batch! Thank you for letting us in on this. I would suggest a button for "Yes, there is something there, but it's too close/far away/fuzzy/dark/blurred for me to identify".

    Posted

  • dms246 by dms246 moderator in response to michele.mks's comment.

    Hi michele.mks - glad you've been enjoying the project! Re the button suggestion, see the sticky thread Why don't we have an "Unidentifiable" option when classifying photos? for an explanation. πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Indigo_Horse by Indigo_Horse

    This is so cool! Mainly there's been lots of wildebeest, but there have been lions and a cheetah, along with a guinea fowl and her chicks.

    Posted

  • Envirogirl667 by Envirogirl667

    I really like this, and I want to be a biologist when I grow up. ( or a neonatal doctor, pro dancer, or teacher ) But my point is, that people dont realize the beauty of the outside. My schoolmates and I all love animals, and do everything we can everyday. My friend rescued and adorabe corgi puppy 2 days ago.

    Posted

  • Envirogirl667 by Envirogirl667 in response to Indigo Horse's comment.

    Yeah, I agree, but I have had some interesting pics.

    Posted

  • jaycee1001 by jaycee1001

    Hello, I love the classifying bit and the Serengeti is "in my dreams" - or when my boat comes in!! But seriously, (and I hope I'm not showing my ignorance here) if there are two or three different types of animal in the picture, which ones should I classify?
    Thanks.

    Posted

  • Envirogirl667 by Envirogirl667

    You can classify all of them! Do one first, but don't click finish after you are done with the first animal species. Instead do the same thing all over again. ( really hard if there are multiple animals in the picture )

    Posted

  • natcarish by natcarish

    I used to have problems playing too much solitaire, but now I have a much greater interest! It's helpful to people I'll never meet, it's supporting wildlife, I'm learning so much about these animals (zebras and wildebeasts are great friends!), I love it - I could happily do this for years. Looking forward to maybe other areas of Africa/the world needing the same classification, here's to season 47!!

    Posted

  • parsfan by parsfan

    Great to be back! Sadly, I am in an area with no internet for the whole of next week. Could everyone please go slow and leave me some classifications to do! πŸ˜‰

    Posted

  • CHommel by CHommel

    There is a butterfly in the picture, but no way to say so. Perhaps the Serengeti administrators could add an insect category?

    I am not sure how to add the image of the picture that I am seeing.

    Posted

  • imsamib by imsamib

    I'm using GIMP, open source graphics editor to make some of the photos view able. Just increasing the brightness and contrast is bringing up a lot of things that I wasn't seeing.

    Posted

  • michele.mks by michele.mks

    Just a comment - I've gone through this since the beginning, and I've never seen so many eland before. Is this due to camera placement or migration, does anyone know?

    Posted

  • bellas_granny by bellas_granny

    Loving this. Totally addicted! So I know now that I LOVE warthogs and hartebeests. What are your favourites?

    Posted

  • bellas_granny by bellas_granny

    I would also like to see more categories. Is there a reason that we are all checking for these particular animals? Also what they are doing might be extended. Moving could be running or walking for example.

    Posted

  • siousxiesue by siousxiesue

    Hiya! How do I classify a hairy beast so close to the camera all that can be seen is the fur? Is there a 'move to the next slide' trick?

    Posted

  • dolphinate by dolphinate

    Take a best guess at the animal. Many people classify each photo, if we all classify different, it gets flagged for one of the science team to take a close look at it.

    Posted

  • michele.mks by michele.mks

    Can we get some rump pictures for the new antelopes - duiker, steenbok? I'm finding these difficult to differentiate, especially in the night shots.

    Posted

  • aliburchard by aliburchard scientist, translator

    that's a good idea michele. We'll try to pull some together - we just have so few photos of the new antelopes in our dataset, so not much to choose from.

    Posted

  • atozvet by atozvet

    Its interesting when you find something you recognise (I have safaried in Serengetti 5 or 6 times in last decade) but frustrating with those vegetation pictures. Is the vague black blob a bird or just a thickening in the grass moving in the wind you wonder. I will persevere with the I d's but like to go back to classifying the War Diary project as there is always something positive to report on from every page viewed. Not like this project, where you just guess there is nothing there but vegetation. How many times have I seen in the distance a 'buffalo' that is a large rock or 'a gazelle' that is just a movement in the grass?

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator

    It may, at times, seem frustrating but then suddenly you are rewarded with some images that are breathtaking. It is not dissimilar to an actual safari game drive, where you journey through the Reserve without seeing much, and then you come upon something exciting.

    It is also worth bearing in mind that, in terms of this project, no animals being present at a given point is still a positive result . Research such as this will prove invaluable in years to come as more and more pressure is put on areas such as the Serengeti .

    So, carry on clicking on those images - you never know what you will see !! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • iamfern by iamfern

    HI, I can't tell you enough how much I am learning and how much I am enjoying helping. Sitting in my house in the upper mid-west where the outside thermometer read -17 degrees this a.m., it is a treat to be immersed in the Serengeti! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to help!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to iamfern's comment.

    That is one of the great things about this site - you can learn and have fun doing so. As you say, it is good to be able to "travel" so easily and to forget the outside world for a while. I am totally addicted and, despite having travelled many times to Africa, still learning new things all the time.

    Carry on clicking !! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thanks for the status report, @iamfern --! Glad we're bringing a little bit of warmth into your life. We're happy to have you helping us out! πŸ˜„

    Posted

  • jcbrstege by jcbrstege

    I have had great fun with this since season 4. The only thing that is a bit frustrating is not knowing if my clasifications are correct. I use the discuss button when I have finished a difficult shot to see if anyone has made a comment. ItΒ΄s not often I find any, Would it be a good idea to ask for comments whenever we find a tricky shot?

    Posted

  • elfinelvin by elfinelvin

    Funny cartoon http://www.gocomics.com/crooksville/2015/03/12/

    Posted

  • Boleyn by Boleyn

    Hi there everyone. I joined this happy bunch of animal lovers yesterday and I'm alreday completely hooked. It's great to have a site like this where I can indulge in my passion for Safaris without having to spend all the money πŸ˜ƒ and on the other hand can add a tiny little bit to the work of the scientist.

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin in response to Boleyn's comment.

    Welcome, @Boleyn --! I like your avatar... can we call it a serval, or perhaps a leopard? πŸ˜ƒ

    Really glad to have you here as we finish up Season 8. We definitely need your help! Thanks for joining us!!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator

    Welcome, @Boleyn
    Be careful not to lose your head over this project πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Boleyn by Boleyn in response to tillydad's comment.

    Thanks for the tip @tillydad. I guess it's too late already since I'm a total safari addict πŸ˜‰

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator

    As am I - need a daily fix of Africa otherwise it is a bad day ! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin in response to Boleyn's comment.

    It's okay... we secretly need addicts! πŸ˜ƒ (As long as it doesn't affect the rest of your life negatively, of course!)

    Posted

  • Boleyn by Boleyn

    no worry @DZM, I just replaced one addiction with this new one. I am a real-life-safari-addict. Never get enough from the game drives so this site is just perfect for me πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • LailaA by LailaA

    This is easy to be addicted to just one more picture I think. I have been living in Tanzania 1975-1979 teaching biologi to be Γ  part of this is like being back on safari Laila A

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to LailaA's comment.

    There is always one more image, then another and another........... πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • rlb66 by rlb66

    British humor, I got the Anne Boleyn joke

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to rlb66xyz's comment.

    I am glad someone did !! lol πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • michele.mks by michele.mks

    No!!! Tell me we're not almost done already! I miss my Serengeti fix when it's gone. 😦

    Posted

  • virginia_woods by virginia_woods

    this is cool no one can say it not πŸ˜ƒ πŸ˜ƒ πŸ˜ƒ πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Oruga by Oruga

    I've spent an hour recognising stuff my first time. It's addictive. I have to stop myself to actually go do my job.

    May I ask why there are so few birds? I had two ground hornbills, it is an easy to recognise bird, but it is sorted out into Others.

    In my opinion, you should add into Introduction that it is possible (and encouraged) to chose several species for one photograph. I had an image with a group of wilderbeests, one had an ox bird sitting on it. I contemplated for some time should I add the bird or not. I did at the end, but it is better to know for sure.

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator

    Welcome to the site. It can be terribly addictive !!

    The tutorial at the beginning of the classification does instruct you to list all of the species that are visible in an image, and you should, therefore, do so. This includes the birds.

    There are over 500 species of bird in the Serengeti and to list them all would probably be very difficult, in so far as the list of species available to be classified would run into many pages and this would take up too much space. It is also the case that it is very difficult to identify some birds as there are many species that are similar in appearance and some of the images are not clear enough to be certain of a correct ID. This is why they are listed as "bird-other". If you visit the "recent" page when thousands of new images are being classified you will often see discussions between various people ( including some Serengeti experts) regarding the difficulty of identifying an individual bird and often there is no choice but to mark it as "bird-other".

    This is also something that one of the scientists could possibly comment on ? πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • davidbygott by davidbygott moderator

    From Serengeti - I've just spent a few days here, seeing fantastic wildebeest activity (around Kogatende, way north of the study area in their dry season range). Herds crossing the Mara River, lions and leopards lounging on scenic rocks, cheetahs chilling. I always tell my tour groups about Snapshot Serengeti and encourage them to participate, but WHEN are we going to get some new pictures they can play with?????

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to davidbygott's comment.

    Sounds like you had a great time, extremely jealous here !! πŸ˜ƒ.

    I echo your query as to when we are going to get our teeth into some new material ??

    Posted

  • Boleyn by Boleyn

    wohooo...! Looks like we'll get something to bite soon πŸ˜„

    Posted

  • aliburchard by aliburchard scientist, translator

    Meredith has just returned from the field and she and Margaret are pre-processing Season 9 now...I always hate how long it takes to get images ready!!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to aliburchard's comment.

    Let's hope they soon appear πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • fosseljaw by fosseljaw

    I sometimes feel stupid because I have a problem identifying some of the antelope. I'm afraid of giving the wrong ID and screwing up the data. I'm really an amateur at this, but I'm REALLY enjoying doing this project.

    Posted

  • davidbygott by davidbygott moderator

    No worries! See my reply to your other post in Announcements.

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to fosseljaw's comment.

    Glad that you are enjoying the site - remember that we are all amateurs and that you are helping on a real science project that is helping researchers πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • Laurey by Laurey

    I'm curious to know if this is a current project. I see so many posts from 5 years ago, etc that i'm no longer sure i should keep identifying. I'm also working on Wildwatch Kenya so i could spend more time there.

    Posted

  • maricksu by maricksu moderator in response to Laurey's comment.

    Hi Laurey,

    We have now season 10 in Snapshot Serengeti ongoing, big welcome to help with this great project, lots of wonderful images to classify!
    You find info about the current season 10 in e.g. here https://talk.snapshotserengeti.org/#/boards/BSG0000009/discussions/DSG0001qlo πŸ˜ƒ

    P.S. Snapshot Serengeti is a longterm project, thus all posts and discussions from also previous seasons can be found on site.

    Posted

  • bob63 by bob63

    Hi everyone, just want to let you know how much We enjoy this, my 15 year old daughter and myself. We did some
    1600 captures already... Still a bit shy about our being total greenhorns helping with a real project, always a bit embarassed when grossly wrong ( I ask for help often so as to improve my skills). Feels a bit like being really there, out in the wild, so wonderful! Special thanks to Maricksu for being so wonderfully kind and enlightening every time! ο˜Šο‘ο»

    Posted

  • maricksu by maricksu moderator in response to bob63's comment.

    Hi bob63,

    Big welcome to you and your daughter to Snapshot Serengeti! Lovely to hear that you have enjoyed this project and congratulations, already so many captures classified!
    Thank you so much for your very kind comment, really appreciated. We moderators are happy to help whenever we can.
    Really great to share the enthusiasm about this beautiful, unique nature and animals of the Serengeti with all of you.
    Definitely no need to be embarassed or worry about mistakes, mistakes are part of learning. The more we classify, the better we get.
    Hopefully you have wonderful time when classifying and contributing this project, we are very grateful for your valuable help! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted

  • bob63 by bob63

    Happy new year to everyone!

    Posted

  • bob63 by bob63

    Hi maricksu! Say, don't you ever sleep?whenever I post a doubtful image, I can always count on your kind an knowledgable comments arriving so quickly, even at the oddest times! I'm kind of a night person , I was classifying last night til close to 3 when I really should have been sleeping before working monday. And this morning at seven, I look in the site, and bingo, there's the reply! I Thanks, as always, and I'm looking forward to season 11! incidentally, in my Serengeti Home screen, it still shows season 10 as not completed. ο™‚

    Posted

  • maricksu by maricksu moderator in response to bob63's comment.

    Hi bob63,

    Thank you for you very kind message!
    Yes, I do sleep, sometimes πŸ˜ƒ. It is just that my "normal" work is shiftwork, so I am here in the site a bit variable times during the days, when I am at home. At the moment I am a bit more "awake", because David is still in Tanzania leading a few safaris and has limited access to the internet. Happy to hear that you enjoy the site so much. Yes, looking forward to the season 11! πŸ˜ƒ

    Posted