Bat Research: Cuba

Since 2012 Illinois College has had a collaboration with Cuban orchid specialist Ernesto Mujica of the Soroa Botanical Gardens which expanded to bat research with Jose Manuel de la Cruz Mora, director of the vertebrate collections for the Natural History Museum in Pinar del Rio. The majority of our work is conducted in Guanahacabibies National Park on the far Western tip of Cuba. Here, students get the chance to conduct research in caves which are well known for high levels of bat diversity and to a large extent are understudied. One such cave, La Barca, is home to over 12 different species, including the endemic cuban funnel-eared bat (Natalus primus), which is in dire need of study to determine basic life history characteristics (e.g. where does it forage? what does it eat? what are its reproductive characteristics?). Through this mutual collaboration, we provide students and resources (nets, microphones etc.) to assist in their studies of these special ecosystems and in-turn, our students gain experience conducting research in an international setting and get a chance to experience the engaging culture of Cuba.

Students who aspire to conduct research in Cuba, especially those who speak some level of Spanish, are encouraged to apply. For more information, please contact Dr. Arnold (bryan.arnold@ic.edu), Dr. Larry Zettler (lwzettle@ic.edu) or Dr. Steven Gardner (sgardner@ic.edu).

Photos above showing research in La Barca Cave, Guanahacabibies National park courtesy of Larry W. Richardson

IC students on a recent BreakAway trip collecting data for our Brachyphylla nana distress call study. Photo and video courtesy of Collin Walter.