Expansion/Breakaway Collars

There are numerous designs for expansion collars in the biological literature. Most designs incorporate a tensioning element that allows the collar to expand as the neck circumference increases. Virtually all of these designs have been used successfully. All of these designs also have limitations. In the case of juvenile animals the neck circumference increases and then remains constant. The elastic material need only expand once. However, if these collars are used on males that undergo "rut" or "roaring" the elastic may be so permanently stretched during the period when neck girth is maximum and that the material may not be able to return to the original dimension post rut. Another concern is that any collar that can stretch may allow a calf to slip a leg through the collar and become entangled. Alternatively, a tree branch may snag in the collar and trap the animal. All these concerns should be addressed by the study team prior to considering the use of this technology in the study. Telonics also recommends that the researchers contact and consult with individuals who have experience using this technology on the species. Careful monitoring of animals that wear expansion collars is also recommended. Several "standard expansion/breakaway collars" are described below and standard pricing is available for each design. Custom expansion breakaway collars are also available. Please consult with the factory regarding implementing custom designs and to obtain a quotation for the collar.

Expansion/Breakaway Collar Options

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	CB-1 Breakaway Collar: This breakaway collar is designed for newborn deer and antelope fawns. The collar is made of a preformed "kydex" and is held together with tensioned latex surgical tubing. The tubing is exposed to the solar radiation and is degraded over time. When the tubing is sufficiently weakened the collar is released. The release typically occurs at 4-10 months depending on growth rates and environmental conditions.
	CB-2 Breakaway Collar: This breakaway collar design is similar to The CB-1 but is slightly larger for older juvenile deer and antelope fawns. The collar is made of a preformed "kydex" and is held together with tensioned latex surgical tubing. The tubing is exposed to the solar radiation and is degraded over time. When the tubing is sufficiently weakened the collar is released. The release typically occurs at 6-14 months depending on growth rates and environmental conditions.
	CB-3A Breakaway mechanism: This breakaway collar is designed for larger mammals. Our CMM or CLM collars are cut, and then the two sections are reattached using latex tubing. This does not allow for neck expansion, but does provide a mechanism whereby collars eventually fall off the animal. Breakaway times are dependent upon species, climate, habitat, and physical stress or abrasion. The attachment tubing is often covered with heat shrink tubing, tape or other material to extend the life of the attachment.
	CB-3B Breakaway mechanism: The CB-3B is a similar design to the CB-3A but with the addition of a stitched elastic breakaway tab that will slightly extend the deployment period. The elastic breakaway tab allows for a slight expansion of the collar that eventually breaks down over time to drop from the animal.
	CB-4 Expansion and Breakaway Collar: This collar design for ungulates is constructed from a flat nylon reinforced elastic material as the main material. The CB-4 is designed to expand with normal neck growth. The material is capable of expanding in length by 30% due to the elasticity of the material. In addition the collar has three flaps of material that are sewn with stitch lines. More stitching is used to close flap two compared to flap one and more stitch lines are used in flap three compared to tab two. The additional stitching is designed to secure the flap for a longer time period resulting in a three-stage expansion of the collar. It should be noted that the actual rate of stitching breakdown is a function of environmental conditions and cannot be very accurately predicted without actually having tried the collar on the animal in the specific situation and environment. Attachment hardware is not required or supplied with this collar design. This collar is typically slipped over the neck of the fawn or calf. The original design was used on ungulates particularly caribou calves occupying open environments.
	CB-5 Expansion Collar: This collar design for juvenile ungulates uses a nylon reinforced elastic material to allow the expansion. Typical expansion is about 40%. The material is further protected from the environment by a sheath of cordura that helps protect the elastic from the environment particularly from UV radiation that tends to breakdown the rubber elastic. The cordura is available in several colors. This expansion collar system has been used juvenile ungulates. Typical expansion range for the CB-5 is 9-14 inches.
	CB-6 Expansion and Breakaway Collar: The design of this collar is similar to the CB-5 described above however; the collar incorporates a breakaway section. The collar is actually cut and the two segments are sewn together with cotton thread. The stitch lines of cotton thread degrade over time to allow the collar to separate and fall away. As with all breakaway mechanism which relies on degradation of materials, the exact time of break is difficult to predict time a prior. The best results are typically obtained after some experience with the specific breakaway in a particular environment.
	CB-8 Expansion Collar: This collar design is similar to the static designs using butyl belting for mammals. The expansion segment incorporates a "bungee cord" that serves to tension the expansion of the collar.