A wildlife ecologist studies native animal species at multiple levels of biological organization, from genetics of wildlife populations to interactions of wildlife with ecosystem processes.
I have a keen curiosity and love trying to logically figure how or why things work. I also love observing animals in their natural environment. I have developed skills in using a compass, map, and Global Positioning System (GPS) units so I can find animals where they live.
What are the roosting and foraging habitat needs of eastern forest bats?
Bats live in a complex habitat. They have unique adaptations to fly quickly through the night. That makes studying their travels very difficult. We use miniature radio transmitters that we attach with short-lived glue like a mini-backpack. We listen for the signals with receiving antennas and follow the bats as they move through their nightly activities.
We discovered that even very small bats that weigh only 10 grams travel long distances every night. We found some species will travel 30 or more miles, one way, in their quest for food. This includes mother bats that have to feed themselves and return to their roost to feed their young periodically through the night.
I became interested in studying birds when I was 7 years old; soon after that I became equally as interested in mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. I knew before I was a teenager that I wanted to do some kind of work studying wildlife.
