The Bat and Mouse Lab
Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell,PhD
Professor of Biological Sciences
Interim Dean, Natural and Applied Sciences
University of Alberta
Bats and Mice in Your Backyard
We are always available to talk to school, and other, groups about Bats and Mice in Your Backyard.
Contact us if you are interested in more details.
Bats and Mice in Your Backyard - Field Blog
Our blog is a good place to see what goes on in the field and to get an introduction to some of our field sites and research team members. California Newt photo credit: Jaime Neill.
Note that media may not be available on all platforms.
Presentations
We regularly give presentations to local community groups about bats and mice. Some groups are interested in hearing about the details of our specific research projects while others are more interested in learning the basics about biodiversity and mammals in general. We have presentations appropriate for all age levels. All members of our lab take part in our outreach program.
Bat and Mouse Recordings from the Wild
Click on the spectrogram to the left to hear an audible version of the ultrasound recodings from a single bat and a single mouse recorded at the Hastings Natural History Reserve. The species recorded are not the ones shown in the pictures, specifically, but are likely a Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis) and the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
Science and art: wild mouse recordings inspired music composition. Here is a piece by Bertholdus Sibum that includes some Peromyscus USVs recordings.
Listening for Bats and Mice
In addition to presentations, we like to take people out at night to listen for mammals that are making ultrasound. In and around your community we will be able to hear and identify many of the local species of bats and mice.
Thermal Video from the Field
As part of our remote sensing we often record spectacular video of wild mammals at night. Here is a link to a video of a cougar walking through our field site (note how the footfalls of the cougar heat up the ground).