Another contributing factor to the differences in walking
rate seen throughout zoological studies may be the
unknown behavioral side-effects of attachable tracking
devices (VHF radio collars, GPS collars, ear transmitters and
accelerometers). The construction of durable and reliable
tracking devices requires the use of heavy-duty materials.
The underlying assumption in all animal activity
budget studies is that tagging an animal will not bias
natural behavior. Previous research on other mammals
has both supported and refuted this assumption