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THE BIOLOGY OF DESERT-DWELLING BATS

 

Organiser:

Coordinator for Germany:
PD DR CHRISTIAN C. VOIGT (LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR ZOO AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH, GERMANY)

Local Teachers:
Dr. Marc. W. Holderied (Bristol University, United Kingdom)
Dr. Carmi PInshow (Jacob Blaustein institute, Israel)
Prof. Dr. Perry Pinshow (Jacob Blaustein institute, Israel)
Mrs. Silke Heucke (Free University Berlin, Germany)
 

 Location:

JACOB BLAUSTEIN INSTITUTES FOR DESERT RESEARCH, SEDE BOQER CAMPUS OF BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV, ISRAEL
 

  

Dates:

2nd - 14th August 2009

 

  

Cost:

Total, incl. food on weekdays and transfer from and to Tel Aviv airport: ca. 340€

Flights: ca. 350 Euro German Tel-Aviv
 

 

Max. number:

 10 - 12

 

Workload estimate:

During: ~70 hrs. training and field work

After: ~ 25 hrs. writing up

 

 Work to be handed in:

Project Report (written in the style of a scientific paper) by 16:30 Monday 5th October 2009

 


Introduction and aims:

The purpose of the course is to use the study of bats in the field to explore basic concepts in animal behaviour, ecology and physiology. We will work with wild and captive bats, examining their echolocation calls, their flight, behaviour and physiology. A focus will be on acoustic methods for the study of bats by recording and analyzing their echolocation calls. The Sede Boqer campus is in the heart of the Negev desert with rich wildlife, in particular bats. During the first few nights we will visit a variety of sites and situations in the desert to introduce students to the animals, the materials and methods. We will use some lecture material to supplement field work. An echolocation lab will introduce acoustics software and its use for bat research. After three days of training students will embark on projects of their own original design, usually involving groups of students working on specific questions about the ecology and behaviour of bats.  Mornings are spent with lectures and seminars, afternoons are for project work and evenings for data collection. The weekend is free but we offer the opportunity to visit the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Each group will briefly present their project plan before starting and then the project outcomes on the last afternoon. Each student will have the opportunity (and is encouraged) to give a research seminar based on a paper assigned to them.  This is, however, neither mandatory nor assessed. 

 

Learning outcomes:

-  To demonstrate the ability to design and test novel interesting research hypotheses.

- To gain and demonstrate skills in data sampling and analysis, including bat echolocation behaviour and physiology.

-  The students will gain experience in how to analyse, critically evaluate and present field investigations in a scientific report.