Knowledge Base

Problem

EthoVision XT fails to reliably detect rodents whose coat color closely matches the background (e.g., wild grassland rats on grey soil), especially under non-uniform lighting conditions.

Details

Occurs when tracking animals whose fur color does not provide sufficient contrast against the arena floor. Particularly problematic in outdoor or field-simulated conditions with variable lighting. Standard default detection settings are insufficient.

Solution

1. In EthoVision XT detection settings, change the subject color relative to background to 'Dark and Light' (instead of a single polarity).
2. Increase and fine-tune the detection threshold value until the animal outline is consistently detected.
3. Replace the arena floor with a pure white base plate to maximize contrast.
4. Add an infrared light source directed upward from beneath the arena floor (bottom-lit setup) to illuminate the animal's contour from below, making edge detection more reliable.
5. Re-run detection previews after each adjustment to confirm consistent tracking.