Keeping Track

July 31, 2008

“Hello, my name is __”…  Those crazy annoying stickers that we’ve all had to wear at one time or another.  Whether those stickers are worth the trouble or not is debatable, but they do bring to light an idea that’s not so strange -keeping track.  We could complain about the growing trend of being treated as a number, (you know, that unfortunately long one that you’re supposed to be able to recite perfectly on every conceivable occasion) but just remember we could go back to the stickers…

Names, numbers, stickers -whatever, they all do the keeping track thing and it can be important especially when it comes time to get your paycheck or medicine.  The same holds true when your working with animals -determining who’s who is sometimes very critical information.  It’s not so hard you think… ever seen a cow with an ear tag?…  But what if the animal you’re working with weighs 6 grams? or 2 grams?  What if it’s federally endangered and you want to be especially sure that the animal’s behavior or health is not affected?  These are questions researchers face all the time and a new way to keep track of individuals can be a huge step forward.

How do you keep track of 2 gram slimy little salamanders?  Well you can give them florescent tattoos.  No really, I’ve given hundreds the little marks.  Just mix up a little bit of elastomer and inject it just under the skin with insulin syringes… Oh, and make sure you get the right color in the right place.  It’s definitely an art.

This is number 229… just after injection (sitting on a piece of Plexiglas).  The marks are permanent and they have no effect on growth or reproduction (Bailey 2004).  They also fluoresce under UV light -the tiniest mark glows brightly if you shine a portable UV light on it.

What about the bats? They get a tiny arm band.  The band is engraved with numbers and letters and fits loosely on the arm allowing for growth and movement.

The above picture shows the band size for Indiana and other small bats.

If you ever find dead animal with a tag or mark of some kind report it to your local Fish and Wildlife department.  The information may be very useful to someone who’s trying to keep track.

Bailey, L. L. 2004. Evaluating elastomer marking and photo identification methods for terrestrial salamanders: marking effects and observer bias. Herpetological Review 35:38-41.

Tags: amphibians, bats, identification, Indiana bats, mammals, marking, salamanders
Posted at 19:09 EDT in Biology, Research.

A Little Space

July 6, 2008

Perhaps you’ve experienced the process of down-sizing (or maybe you should).  Going with a little less is, at times, a better option.  But then there are times when it’s forced -things are lost, stolen, or destroyed and it doesn’t feel so nice.  We all have a “list” of what we think we need -everyone’s list being unique in it’s own right.  Unfortunately life doesn’t allow the opportunity to live in a perpetual state of the “ideal.”  Everything is forced to adapt -deal with something that’s new, uncomfortable, or less then desired.

I’ve been experiencing a bit of adapting for the last week or so myself.  Having grown up on a multi-acre property in the quiet rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains I now find myself residing in 350 sq. ft. of apartment in the heart of the 15th largest city in the United States and right beside the largest university.  It’s a bit different to say the least.  Thankfully, most organisms have a great ability to adapt and I think I’ll get it figured out in time.

While doing some adapting myself I’ve thought about the animals I study.  There’s a lot of talk about adaptation, space requirements, refuge sizes, and habitat fragmentation.  Indeed, one of the most important aspects of helping a species (and one of the goals of my research) is to define exactly what the particular needs of the species are.  Just as what you need differs from that of your neighbor, each species has its own particular needs and requirements.  I talk to a lot of people who just don’t understand why Indiana Bats can’t just spend the winter in the old barn like the Big Brown Bats do, or why they don’t fly south with the Hoary’s.  Now I think I have a better way to explain it… it’s the same reason some feel at home in a cramped little apartment in a big city -and others prefer a little more s p a c e.

While the city cramped up my living style, it also cramped up my photography -and my dish drainer [what, -you thought they fit a dishwasher in here?]  But hay, I’m trying to adapt.  The image got a little help from Photoshop’s glowing edges filter.

Dish drainer: Nikon D1x 24-85mm f:2.8-4D

Tags: bats, habitat, home-range, Indiana bats, mammals
Posted at 22:03 EDT in Biology, Research.