Our model system being Noctilionoid bats, our fieldwork sites are mainly located in the neotropics, the home land of this clade. Within these field sites, the highest diversity of species is found in Belize and Trinidad. Going to Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic allow us to find overlapping but also different species in other ecological contexts. Finally, Belize constitute our “mainland” fieldwork site with some variation in species number but also size. Recently, we opened our range of possible groups by extending our field sites to Cameroon in Africa.
Aside from bats, doing fieldwork in different countries is being exposed to different cultures, languages and people. Meeting and sharing knowledge and experiences with them is central in our approach of fieldwork. As an organizer or while being part of a team, we always seek to collaborate with local universities or organisms for either scientific or outreach collaborations! Want to start the journey? Look at the pictures below!
Trinidad and Tobago – More than just a place to work, Trini is now like a second home, with friendships that have developped over the years. Last year, with Jason-Marc Mohamed, we produced a film related to the bats of Trinidad, the people and our research. We are now developing a research program in collaboration with the University of West Indies.
Sturnira parvidens, a little fruit bat with a short face.
This one was ready to get her saliva taken for further amylase analyses before being released! Fun fact, these bats have glands that give them such a distinct smell. And look at that face!
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#bats #belize #lamanai
Mistnetting with a view in Belize 🇧🇿
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As the Lamanai fieldwork led by Brock Fenton, Nancy Simmons and the AMNH team is so big, we set up a lot of misnets every night. Around the high temple a team set up the macronet, the triple high and many other misnets. Overall, we caught 50ish bats last night. A lot of projects are going on: some bats are pit-tagged and released, others, recaptured from previous years are recorded, and every group has their own project so there is always so much going on.
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In fact, especially year after year, Lamanai batathon is just like going to a bat nerds summer camp. Damn it feels so good to see y'all!
An albino Anoura! We were lucky to spot and find this albino Anoura geoffroyi in Tamana cave, a nice example of leucism. This individual was so visible, flying in the middle of others. White mutants are often found in this cave (and apparently in some caves in Brazil too for Anouras, in addition to white Myotis in the US) although at a rare frequency which made us think that the allele is present in the population. Aside from very sciency considerations, it's always SO COOL to find one of those. Look at these delicate wings! We took a wing punch for a quick sequencing 🦇
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Doi of the Brazil paper: https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-BN-2018-0676
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#bat #trinidadandtobago #albino #leucism
Batting.
A glimpse of Bush Bush and Tamana cave, good vibes, good people and good bats. Research wouldn't be the same without y'all!
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#bats #trinidadandtobago
Meet Marcela, a senior postdoc in the lab! Originally from Costa Rica, Marcela has travelled to many countries for her PhD and postdoc before joining the lab. She is studying the evolution of the developmental networks that control organ identity and shape using machine learning in bats (and their teeth). She is a diver and loves smaller bats such as Glossos.
Bush bush !!!
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11 species, a LOT of mosquitoes, coffee on truck experience, fun night batting, good people, good bats, nature, beautiful night and the pleasure of a good night batting. These shared moments are just gold memories 🦇🇹🇹
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#bats #trinibats #trinidadandtobago
Meet Benoît, who is a IE – senior technician in our team! In the lab, Benoît reconstructs bat embryos in 3D from uCT scans. So far, he has identified insane developmental trajectories and evolutionary strategies that could be extended to other clades! FINALLY, he can put a face, behavior and personality in these scans and names. Aside from the lab, Benoît is a true naturalist too, who has been looking at the rich diversity of Trinidad nature. Last but not least, he is a talented sax player (and part of the ISEM band)!
POLLEN OVERDOSE! A few days ago, we netted at the university aiming for AJs and Glossophaga in the cocoa fields and calabash tree.This Phyllostomus discolor was COVERED with pollen when we caught it at UWI. These bats are considered omnivorous and, when they forage for pollen, put their entire head (and further) into the flowers as they do not have the long tongues of true nectarivores (and cover themselves when doing so ^^). Some love them, others prefer AJs, similar look but two attitudes.
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#bats #trinidadandtobago
Meet Fanny, our PhD student, catching her first tropical bats in Trinidad!
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Fanny studies the evolution of mammalian tooth classes from a morphological and developmental point of view. In particular, she studies how bat teeth adapt to various diets, To find general rules by which organs evolve and diversify. In her free time, Fanny is also a true naturalist who loves plants, minerals and collections of natural wonders!
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@erc_research #novelteeth #bats #teeth #phyllostomids #evodevo
Yesterday, we got to sample bats in gorgeous places for our first (VERY) long processing night. From the mysteries of abandoned houses that bats call home to the beauty of Trini sunsets in farms, the atmosphere of the island really got us one more time!
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Featuring Marcela looking for Carollias, and cows as baits for Desmodus the vampire bats, and one occasional Sturnira 🦇🇹🇹
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#bats #trinidadandtobago
Carollia perspicillata was our very first catch this year in the forest! Regular bat, trash bat, neighbourg bat, it's so abundant that we always run into it regularly. This little one flew back after a little check!
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#trinidadandtobago #bats 🇹🇹🦇
