Bat Ecology 

Introduction

Born and raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico in 1959, his family is from Quebradillas, a small town along the northwestern coast, with which he maintains close ties. After completing high school studies, he moved to the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPRM), attracted by the association of that campus with names such as ornithologist Virgilio Biaggi and herpetologist Juan A. Rivero. He continued his master's studies in biology at UPRM under the direction of Allen Lewis, specializing in the ecology of bat associations in caves. Then moved to Boston University where, under the direction of bat ecologist Thomas H. Kunz, finished a PhD in biology focusing on the physiological ecology of island bats. While at Boston University he was also influenced by evolutionary biologist Lynn Margulis and biochemist Tony Swain. Back in Puerto Rico, held a teaching position at the Aguadilla Campus of Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, and later at the Bayamón Campus of the same institution, as director of the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He was named Dean of Arts and Sciences, and then Dean of Research. During this time in the administration, he was active in teaching and research, publishing papers, books, and chapters on bat ecology and natural history, education, history, oenology, and other topics. He also collaborates in children's and youth literature projects. In the year 2000, established Mata de Plátano Field Station, in the northern karst of Puerto Rico, furthering research in the region; and, in 2009 founded the Puerto Rico Bat Conservation Program (PCMPR, in Spanish), as part of the Latin American Bat Conservation Network (RELCOM, in Spanish). He propelled the formation of the Antillean Confederacy for the Conservation and Research on Bats (CACIM, in Spanish), which seeks to develop collaborative research and conservation efforts among Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba.  His field experience with bats includes Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New England, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Also collaborates with environmental organizations such as Bat Conservation International, Ciudadanos del Karso, and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust (Para la Naturaleza).

Curriculum Vitae

DEGREES AND INSTITUTIONS

                  Ph.D., Boston University, Boston

                  M.S., University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

                  B.S., University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

                  American Association for the Advancement of Science

                  (Active. President of Caribbean Division 2004-2006)

                  North American Society for Bat Research

                  (Active. Board member 2007- 2013)

                  Red Latinoamericana para la Conservación de Murciélagos

                  (Active. Board Member 2013 - 2017; Founder of Puerto Rico Chapter)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Courses: Ecology, Evolution, Biogeography, Animal Behavior, Population Biology, Ecology and Environment, Ecological Methods, Integrated Science for Non-Majors (first author of the textbook), Microbiology, Zoology.

Workshops: PBL for elementary and high school teachers, Biology and Natural History of Bats, The Science of Wine.

POSITIONS HELD

2025-Present            Emeritus Professor, InterAmerican University, Bayamón, P.R.

2021-2024           Full Professor, InterAmerican University, Bayamón, P.R.

2015-2021           Full Professor and Director of Mata de Plátano Field Station

2006-2015           Dean of Research and Full Professor, InterAmerican University, Bayamón, P.R. 

                                Also, Founder and Director of Mata de Plátano Field Station since 2001.

1998-2006           Dean of Arts and Sciences and Full Professor, Inter American University, Bayamón, PR.

1991-1998           Chairman, Dept. Natural Sciences, Inter American University, Bayamón, PR.

1992-1998           Associate Professor, Inter American University, Bayamón, PR.

1990-1991           Assistant Professor, Inter American University, Aguadilla, PR.

1987-1990           Instructor (Lecturer), Inter American University, Aguadilla, PR.

1984-1986           Research Assistant (Physiological Ecology), Boston University.

1981-1984           Teaching Fellow. Coordinator for Animal Parasitology. University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.

CONTRACTS AND GRANTS

 2020 – 2022        Research for Improved Student Experiences in STEM (RISE in STEM). Co-PI. National Science Foundation.

 2019 – 2021        Population estimates of bat colonies in hot caves in Puerto Rico. Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Puerto Rico.

 2017 - 2019         Bat species richness and diversity survey in Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Funding Opportunity F17AS00253.

  2017 – 2018        Importance of the IAUPR-BC wetland for bat conservation and citizen science education. Vicepresidencia de Asuntos Académicos y Estudiantiles, UIPR.

 2012 -2015          Impact of habitat fragmentation on bat populations. In: Efficacy of Informal Science Education (ISE) practices to develop Hispanic citizen scientists in the watershed of the Rio Grande of Manatí, Puerto Rico. NSF Citizen Science Program and The Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. (Sub award).

  2013 - 2014         Bat-use Study scope for proposed wind turbine sites at the Municipalities of Barceloneta and Loiza, Puerto Rico. Aspenall Energies, LLC (Contract).

2012 – 2013        Renovation of Mata de Plátano Field Station in the Karst Region of Puerto Rico, West Indies.  NSF Award DBI-1226421.

                                  2013 - 2015              Post-Construction Monitoring of Bat Fatalities at the Punta Lima Wind Farm. Punta Lima Wind Farm, LLC/ Gestamp Wind. (Contract).

2007- 2011          The Role of Bats in the Reforestation of Disturbed Areas. NSF Citizen Science Program and The Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. (Sub award).

2010-2012           Evaluations of bat populations on potential wind farm sites. AMBIENTA (Contract).

1997- 2012       PR- NSF Alliance for Minority Participation. Resource Center for Science and Engineer (Funding for the development and supervision of undergraduate research).

2003-2006           Ecology and Management of Bats Roosting in Western Vieques. The Puerto Rico Conservation Trust (Contract).

2003                   Environmental Evaluation of Cuevas de Aguas Buenas Area: Determination of Species of Bats Present. Servicios Técnicos y Científicos, San Juan, PR. Report for EIS. (Contract)

2001- 2005          Title V, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions. U. S. Department of Education. Co-PI, Project-Based Learning in Biology.

2000                   Improvement of the Karst Forest’s Mata de Plátano Field Station. NSF Award No. DBI-0085342.

1988                   Research Grant. Research Institute, Inter American University of Puerto Rico.

1986                   Grant-in-Aid of Research, American Society of Mammalogists

Grant-in-Aid of Research, Sigma XI Society, Boston U. Chapter

PUBLICATIONS

ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and A. R. Lewis. 1985. Seasonal predation by Merlins on sooty mustached bats in western Puerto Rico. Biotropica 17:71-74.

 Rodríguez-Durán, A. and A. R. Lewis. 1987. Patterns of population size, diet and activity for a multispecies assemblage of bats. Carib. J. Sci. 23:352-360.

  Rodríguez-Durán, A. and T. H. Kunz. 1992. Pteronotus quadridens. Mammalian Species No. 395, pp. 1-4, 3 figs., American Society of Mammalogists.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1992. Importancia de las cuevas calientes en la conservación de los murciélagos. Verde Luz 2:3 (Bulletin of the Puerto Rico Conservation Foundation).

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1993. Cave bats in Puerto Rico. In Biology (E. P. Solomon, L. R. Berg, D. W. Martin, C. Villee, eds). Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia.

Rodríguez-Durán, A., A. R. Lewis and Y. Montes. 1993. Skull morphology and diet of Antillean bat species. Carib. J. Sci. 29:258-261.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1995. Metabolic rates and thermal conductance in four species of Antillean bats roosting in hot-caves. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 110A:347-355.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1996. Foraging Ecology of the Puerto Rican Boa (Epicrates inornatus): Bat predation, carrion feeding, and piracy. J. of Herpetology, 30:533-536.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1998. Distribution and nonrandom aggregations of the cave bats of Puerto Rico. J. of Mammalogy, 79 (1): 141 – 146.

Whitaker, J. and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 1999. Seasonal variation in the diet of Mexican free-tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis antillularum (Miller) from a colony in Puerto Rico. Carib. J. Sci., 35:23-29.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 1999. First record of reproductive Lasiurus borealis minor from Puerto Rico. Carib. J. Sci., 35:143-144.

Barlow, K. E., N. Vaughan, K. E. Jones, A. Rodríguez-Durán, and M. R. Gannon. 2000. Are bats which pollinate and disperse forest plants particularly sensitive to disturbance? A case study of the effects of Hurricane Georges on bats of Puerto Rico. Bull. of the British Ecological Society, 31:36-39.

Jones, K. E., K. E. Barlow, N. Vaughan, A. Rodríguez-Durán, and M. R. Gannon. 2001. Short term impacts of extreme environmental disturbance on the bats of Puerto Rico.  Animal Conservation, 4:59-66.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and T. H. Kunz. 2001. Biogeography of bats of the West Indies: An ecological perspective. In Biogeography of the West Indies (C. Woods and F. Sergile, Eds.) CRC Press.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and R. Vázquez. 2001. Ecology of an Antillean population of Jamaican fruit-eating bats: Seasonal variations in diet, patterns of activity, and response to disturbance caused by hurricanes. Acta Chiropterologica, 3:53-61.

Lugo, Ariel E., L. Miranda, A. Vale, T. Lopez, E. Hernandez, A. Garcia, A. Puente, A. G. Tossas, D. A. McFarlane, T. Miller, A. Rodriguez, J. Lundberg, J. Thomlinson, J. Colon, J. H. Schellekens, O. Ramos, and E. Helmer. 2001. Puerto Rican Karst – A Vital Resource.  USDA, Forest Service. General Technical Report WO-65.

Rivera-Marchand, B. and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 2001. Preliminary observations on the renal adaptations of bats roosting in hot caves in Puerto Rico. Carib. J. of Sci. 37:272-274.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and J. A. Soto-Centeno. 2003.  Temperature selection by tropical bats roosting in caves.  Journal of Thermal Biology 28:465-468.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2005. Mamíferos Voladores. In Historia Natural de Puerto Rico (R. Joglar, ed.) Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico.

Bhatnagar, K.P., T. D. Smith, A. Rodríguez-Durán, and J. R. Wible. 2006. Observations on the vomeronasal organ of Pteronotus macleayii and Pteronotus quadridens (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae). Mammalia, 2006:288-292.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and E. Padilla-Rodríguez. 2008. Oxygen Transport and Wing Morphology of Antillean bats. Caribbean J. of Science, 44: 375 -379.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2009. Bat Assemblages in the West Indies: The Role of Caves. Pp 265 - 280 In Island Bats: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation (T. H. Fleming and P. Racey, eds.). University of Chicago Press.

Schaetz, B. A., A. Kurta, A. Rodríguez-Durán, O. M. Münzer and R.  Foster. 2009. Identification of Bats in Puerto Rico Using the Scanning Electron Microscope to Examine Body Hairs. Caribbean J. of Science, 45:125-129.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and E. Padilla-Rodríguez. 2010. New records for the bat fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, with notes on their natural history. Caribbean J. of Science, 46: 102 -105.

Rodríguez-Durán, A., J. Pérez, M. A. Montalbán, and J. M. Sandoval 2010. Predation by free-roaming cats on an insular population of bats. Acta Chiropterologica, 12:359-362.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and W. Otero. 2011. Species richness and diversity of a West Indian bat assemblage in a fragmented ecosystem. Acta Chiropterologica, 13: 439–445.

Richard J. Ladle, João V. L. Firmino, Ana C. M. Malhado, and Armando Rodríguez-Durán. 2012. Unexplored Diversity and Conservation potential of Neotropical hot caves. Conservation Biology, 26: 978–982.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and E. Santiago. 2014. Historia de la mastozoología del Caribe insular. In Historia de la mastozoología en Latinoamérica, las Guyanas y el Caribe (J. Ortega, J. L. Martínez y D. Tirira, eds.) Editorial Murciélago Blanco y Asociación Ecuatoriana de Mastozoología, Quito y México, DF.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and W. Feliciano-Robles. 2015. Impact of wind facilities on bats in the Neotropics. Acta Chiropterologica, 17: 365 – 370.

Rodríguez-Herrera, B., L.R. Víquez-R, E. Cordero-Schmidt  J. M. Sandoval and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 2016. Energetics of tent roosting in bats: the case of Ectophylla alba and Uroderma bilobatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). J. of Mammalogy, 97: 246 – 252.

Arnett, E. B., E. F. Baerwald, F. Mathews,  L. Rodrigues,  Armando Rodriguez-Duran, J. Rydell,  R. Villegas-Patraca, and C. C. Voigt. 2016. Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: a Global Perspective. In Bats in the Anthropocene (T. Kingston and C. Voight, eds.). Springer.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and W. Feliciano-Robles. 2016. Conservation value of remnant habitat for Neotropical bats on islands. Caribbean Naturalist, 35: 1 – 10.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2019. Family Phyllostomidae. Pp. 444 – 583 (10 species accounts: Macrotus waterhousii, Monophyllus plethodon, M. redmani, Brachyphylla cavernarum, B. nana, Phyllonycteris poeyi, Erophylla bombifrons, E. sezekorni, Stenoderma rufum, and Phyllops falcatus). In: Wilson, D. E. & Mittermeier, R. A., eds. Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 9, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and J. Rosa. 2020. Remarkable variation in the diet of Noctilio leporinus in Puerto Rico: the fishing bat turns carnivorous. Acta Chiropterologica, 22:175 - 178.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2020. Roosting ecology, the importance of detailed description. Pp. 311 - 324 In Phyllostomid Bats, a Unique Mammalian Radiation (Theodore H. Fleming, Liliana Davalos, and Marco Mello,eds.) The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 470 pp.

Rodríguez-Durán, A., N.  Nieves, and Y. Avilés-Ruiz. 2020. Hurricane mediated extirpation of a bat from a Caribbean Island. Caribbean Naturalist, 78:1-7.

Hirsbrunner, A., A. Rodríguez-Durán, J. Jarvis, R. Rudd, and A. Davis. 2020. Detection of rabies viral neutralizing antibodies in Puerto Rican Brachyphylla cavernarum bats. Infection Ecology and Epidemiology, 10:1-3, 1840773, DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2020.1840773.

Calderón-Acevedo, C.A., A. Rodríguez-Durán and J.A. Soto-Centeno. 2021. Effect of land use, habitat suitability, and hurricanes on the population connectivity of an endemic insular bat. Scientific Reports 11:9115, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88616-7.

Núñez-Novas, M.S., R. Torres, A. Rodríguez-Durán, and J.M. Zorrilla. 2021. Spatial distribution of bats species on Hispaniola Island, the Greater Antilles. Acta Chiropterologica, 23: 443-454.

Mancina, C.A. and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 2022. Caribe Insular. Pp. 47 – 50 In Áreas y sitios de importancia para la conservación de los murciélagos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (R. M. Barquez, L. F. Aguirre, J. M. Nassar, S. F. Burneo, C. A. Mancina y M. M. Díaz, Eds.). RELCOM, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina.

Martínez, Y. and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 2022. Puerto Rico. Pp. 54 – 57 In Áreas y sitios de importancia para la conservación de los murciélagos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (R. M. Barquez, L. F. Aguirre, J. M. Nassar, S. F. Burneo, C. A. Mancina y M. M. Díaz, Eds.). RELCOM, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina.

Rodríguez-Durán, A., A. Nieves, Y. Avilés Ruiz, Y. Martínez, and K. Andújar-Morales. 2023. Population estimates of bat assemblages from hot caves in Puerto Rico. Novitates Caribaea, (22), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.33800/nc.vi22.336

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2023. Ecology and natural history of bats in the West Indies. In Kurta, A. and A. Rodríguez-Durán (eds). Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Rodríguez-Durán and A. Kurta. 2023. Bat-human interactions. In Kurta, A. and A. Rodríguez-Durán (eds). Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Rodríguez-Durán and A. Kurta. 2023. Monophyllus redmani. In Kurta, A. and A. Rodríguez-Durán (eds). Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Voigt, C.C., E. Bernard, J. Chun-Chia Huang, W. F. Frick, C. Kerbiriou, K. MacEwan, F. Mathews, A. Rodríguez-Durán, C. Scholz, P. W. Webala, J. Welbergen, and M. Whitby. 2024. Toward solving the global green–green dilemma between wind energy production and bat conservation. BioScience, 2024, 0, 1–13 https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae023

Sjodin, A.R., Willig, M.R., Rodríguez-Durán, A., and Anthony, S.J. 2024. Rapid taxonomic categorization of short, abundant virus sequences for ecological analyses. Ecology and Evolution https://doi.org/10.22541/au.169641404.45364987/v1.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and E. Santiago-Valentín. 2024. Growth and Development of Mammalogy in the Caribbean Archipelago. In Mammals of Middle and South America: History, Biogeography, Conservation (Mario Melletti, Diego G. Tirira, Sonia Gallina Tessaro and Jorge Ortega, Eds.) Springer. (Accepted)

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. Erophylla bombifrons. In Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America: Chiroptera (Burton K. Lim and Celia López-González, Eds.) Springer. (Submitted)

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. Pteronotus quadridens. In Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America: Chiroptera (Burton K. Lim and Celia López-González, Eds.) Springer. (Submitted)

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. Stenoderma rufum. In Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America: Chiroptera (Burton K. Lim and Celia López-González, Eds.) Springer. (Submitted)

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. Brachyphylla cavernarum. In Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America: Chiroptera (Burton K. Lim and Celia López-González, Eds.) Springer. (Submitted)

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. Mormoops blainvillei. In Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America: Chiroptera (Burton K. Lim and Celia López-González, Eds.) Springer. (Submitted)

BOOKS AND REPORTS

Rodríguez-Durán, A., N. López-Ramírez, and H. Quintero. 1997. Ciencias: El Ser Humano y su Ambiente Natural. International Thomson Editores, México. (Textbook for a course on integrated science, 3 editions. 3rd edition by Cengage).

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2002.  Evaluation of the status of bat populations in western Vieques:  Recommendations for a wildlife refuge management plan.  Report prepared for The Puerto Rico Conservation Trust.

Gannon, M. R., A. Kurta, A. Rodríguez-Durán, and M. R. Willig. 2005.  The bats of Puerto Rico: An island focus and a Caribbean perspective.  Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2010. Tiempos de Próceres: Una historia de antepasados quebradillanos. Bibliográficas, San Juan, 75 pp.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and K. Christenson. 2012. Breviario sobre los Murciélagos de Puerto Rico, La Española y las Islas Vírgenes. Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico y Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas, San Juan.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. and N. Murray-Irizarry. 2013. Una historia en dos tiempos. Ediciones SM y Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2018. El vino y la aventura de saber. EDP University Press, San Juan.

Kurta, A. and A. Rodríguez-Durán (eds.). 2023. Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2000. Noche, Sutil Maravilla: Los Murciélagos del Túnel Negro. Alborada Cultural, 5:15.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2002. The Karst Province of Puerto Rico: Confluence of Science, Technology, Economic Development, and Conservation. Dimensión, 16:19-21. (Journal of the College of Engineers of PR).

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2002. Los murciélagos en las culturas precolombinas de Puerto Rico. Focus, I (2): 15 – 18.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2003. La “Educación General” en Puerto Rico y algunas divagaciones sobre coquíes, taínos y chupacabras. Focus, II (1): 61-68.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2003. Los vampiros y la pseudodoxia epidémica. Focus, II (2): 43-52.

Miranda-Maldonado, E., R. R. Canales-Pastrana, and A. Rodríguez-Durán. 2004. Computer code to simulate bat movements and its role in the formation of roosting assemblages. Focus, 3(1): 7-12.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2004. Para no perder el paso al siglo XXI: El rol de la universidad y del país. Focus, 3(1): 43-50.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2004. La raza asimétrica: Una definición del hispano y sus implicaciones para “the melting pot”. Focus, 3(2): 65-72.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2015. La temperatura del vino en el trópico. Corks Magazine. Vol 1. Primera Edición.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2023. Sobre la discordia en torno al libro El Jefe. El Post Antillano, 27 mayo 2023.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2024. ¿La hora de la libertad? Deficiencias del discurso político. El Post Antillano, 11 mayo 2024.

Rodríguez-Durán, A. 2025. La pseudodoxia epidémica: leyes de cabotaje y el sapo concho sobre la verde grama del vecino. El Post Antillano, 18 enero 2025.

SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES

-   Founder, and member of the Advisory Board, of the Bat Conservation Program of Puerto Rico (PCMPR in Spanish), part of the Latin American Network for Bat Conservation. A nonprofit organization.

- Fundación Museo de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico. Consultant for the development of the Museum of Natural History (pro-bono, 1997 – 2000). A non-profit group working with the local government to establish a quality museum in Puerto Rico.

- International Institute of Tropical Forestry’s Karst Group.  An interdisciplinary team from federal and state agencies, academia, and environmental groups. The aim was to establish a large unfragmented reserve along the northern karst province of Puerto Rico. (2009)

- Activity Director of development of faculty competencies in technology and student-centered learning to improve student academic outcomes. A Department of Education Title V project (2001 – 2006) for the standardization and enhancement of science gateway courses.

- Scientific advisor for short stories for young readers.  Worked with the authors and the illustrators to provide scientifically and visually correct images. Author of a section in each publication. The intention with these publications is to provide young readers not only good literature, but information on the natural history of their surroundings, dispelling some myths, and raising environmental awareness. Series of three books under “Cuentos del Carso” (2002, Zulma Ayes, author. Published by Alfaguara); “Un murciélago amigo que vive en las cavernas” (2003, Blanca Berio, author. Publisher by Editorial Río Ingenio and by Editorial Norma); Un tallito verde/ A little green stem (2009, Z. Ayes, author, Published by Santillana, Alfaguara Infantil Juvenil); Quiero ser biólogo/ I want to be a biologist (2009, Z. Ayes, author, Published by Santillana, Alfaguara Infantil Juvenil); Canito el murciélago pescador (2014, Z. Ayes, author, Published by SM); ¡Yo soy investigadora de murciélagos! (2016, E. Peñalvert, author, published by Ediciones EDP).

- Participation and advise for TV Documentaries and Podcasts.

1996, BBC Natural History Unit, Spirits of the Jaguar

2002, Geoambiente, Murciélagos: del mito a la realidad

2004, BBC Natural History Unit, Violent Planet

2010, Fideicomiso de Conservación, Ciudadano Científico

2014, Saint Thomas Productions/ Climax Films/ Ts Productions & Kizmar Films for Planète and Arte France, Hurricane, the Anatomy. Episode 2: Shaping the Wilderness

2007, BBC Natural History Unit, Wild Caribbean

2022, Guácara Podcast, Murciélagos en Puerto Rico

2024, National Geographic/WildStar Films, Sentient

ABSTRACTS (Selected)

2021           Wind energy and bats in the Caribbean Basin: Navigating in the dark.  1st International Bat Research Online Symposium: Towards solving the wind energy-bat conflict. Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 2 November 2021.

 2017           Climate change and the impact of hurricanes on bats in small islands. IBS Climate Change Biogeography, Evora, Portugal, 20 -24 March.

 2013           Current status of wind farms in Latin America and its relation with bat research and conservation. 16th International Bat Research Conference, Costa Rica, 11 – 15th August.

                   2012          Artibeus jamaicensis in Puerto Rico vs Costa Rica: Support for the Metabolically Conservative Species Hypothesis. 42nd North American Symposium on Bat Research, San Juan, October 24 – 27, 2012.

                         2010           Metabolic rates, nutritional state, and thermoregulatory behavior of Molossus. 15th International Bat Research Conference, Prague, August 23 - 27.           

                         2007           The importance of caves for bat assemblages in the West Indies. 3rd International Biogeography Society Conference, Tenerife, Spain, January 9-13.              

                                            2004           Bat assemblages in the West Indies: The role of caves.

Symposium on Ecology, Evolution and Conservation of Island Bats (invited contribution). ATBC 2004, Miami.

 2001           Oxygen Transport and Wing Morphology of Antillean bats.  31st North American Symposium on Bat Research.  Victoria, Canada.

                                  1998           Renal structure of bats in Puerto Rico. 11th International Bat Research Meeting, Pirenopolis, Brazil.

 1995           Bat predation by the Puerto Rican boa: Foraging ecology, carrion feeding, and piracy. Joint meeting of the 25th North American Symposium on Bat Research and the 10th International Bat Research Conference, Boston, USA.

 1994           Population estimate in a complex bat colony. 24th North American Symposium on Bat Research. Ixtapa, México.

 1992           Patterns of use and association among Antillean cave dwelling bats. 9th International Bat Research Conference. Madurai Kamaraj, Madurai, India.

                  1989                  Comparative physiological ecology of bats roosting in hot                                                      caves. 8th International Bat Research Conference. University                                                   of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

 1987           Food habits and skull morphology of Antillean insect-eating bats. 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

 1985           Feeding ecology of three species of bats from western Puerto Rico. 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. University of Maine, Orono.

 1983           Merlin predation on insectivorous bats (In Spanish). 5th Symposium on the Fauna of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

DIRECTED STUDENT RESEARCH (Selected)

                  Undergraduate

 Yarisa Montes. Skull morphology of Antillean bats (Co-directed with Allen R. Lewis, UPR-Mayagüez). 1987.

Carolyn Parra and Glorimel Pérez. Ecological assessment of sector Mata de Plátanos, Arecibo. (Co-directed with Francisco Marcano-Santiago, UIPR-Bayamón). 1992.

Juan Fernández. A technique to estimate population size of bats in complex roosts. 1994.

Bert Rivera. Comparative analysis of the renal structure of bats. 1997 to 1998.

Rafael Vázquez. Foraging ecology of the fruit eating bat Artibeus jamaicensis. 1997-2000.

 Nancy Cintrón. Social Structure of Artibeus jamaicensis using PCR. 1997-1999.

 Larisa Archilla and Dérlim Bravo. Bucal microbiota of bats. (Co-directed with José Pérez-Jiménez, UIPR-Bayamón). 1997-2000.

Julio Soto-Centeno. Temperature preferences of bats roosting in hot-caves. 1998 to 2001.

Manuel Soto. Bat activity in urban areas. 2003 – 2004.

Jesus M. Ríos and Viviana Negrón. Temperature selection by the bat Molossus molossus. 2004 – 2007.

Emmanuel Miranda-Maldonado and Wilmarie Torres-Rivera. Computer simulation of bat movements: Importance in understanding roosting assemblages and conservation strategies. 2003 – 2006.

Jean Manuel Sandoval, Jansel Pérez and Mari Ana Montalbán. Cat predation on bats. 2006 – 2008.

Jean M. Sandoval. Metabolic rates of bats. 2008 – 2011.

Wilkins Otero. Seed dispersal by bats. 2009 – 2011.

Erik Calderón and Waldemar Feliciano. Impact of wind farms and habitat fragmentation on bat populations. 2012 – 2015.

Lynnette Andujar. Energetics of bats on islands. 2013 – 2015.

Natalie A. Nieves and Valeria Tirado. Importance of wetlands for bat conservation. 2016 – 2019.

John Rosa and Yadiamaris Avilés. Impact of hurricanes on bat populations. 2018 – 2019.

Yadiamaris Avilés. Effect of light pollution on bat activity. 2019 -2020.

                  Graduate

                  Wilmarie Cruz (M.S. student). Impact of urban development and environmental disturbance on bat diversity and abundance. (Inter American University – San German).

                  Glorinell Pérez (M.S. student). Ecology of introduced monkeys in northern Puerto Rico (Inter American University – Bayamón).

                     Kamile Andujar (M.S. student). Population size of bat colonies in hot caves. (Inter American University – Bayamón). 2019 - 2022.

                      Marivette Pastoriza (M.S. student). Gene flow among bat colonies in hot caves.  (Inter American University – San German). 2019 -2024.

                      Natalie A. Nieves (M.S. student). Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in bats. (Inter American University – Bayamón). 2019 - 2024.

                      Edgardo López (M.S. student). Comparison of genetic variability and establishment of biological corridors of Molossus molossus in Puerto Rico. (Inter American University – Bayamón). 2021 – 2025.

                                 Committee member (not as major advisor)

Ramón López-Rosado (M.S. student). Population Genetics Studies in Bats. (UPR-Mayagüez).

Bert Rivera-Marchand (M.S. student). Reproductive biology of columnar cacti pollinated by bats. (UPR-Río Piedras).

Carlos Conde Costas (PhD student). Nitrogen Dynamics in a Tropical Cave Stream. UPR – Río Piedras.

Ashley Rholf (MS student). Ecology of mormoopid bats in Puerto Rico. Eastern Michigan University.

SESSION LEADER AND WORKSHOPS

          Lecturer and Session Leader - 9th International Bat Research Conference. Madurai, India (1992).

      Workshop Leader - Ecological methods for the study of tropical bats. 10th International Bat Research Conference, Boston (1995, post-conference workshop in Puerto Rico).

        Host/Organizer – 42nd North American Symposium on Bat Research. San Juan, Puerto Rico (2012).

           Organizer of workshop on eolic parks leading to RELCOM’s position paper – “Lineamientos de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental sobre Murciélagos por Plantas de Energía Eólica en Latinoamérica y el Caribe”. Tucumán, Argentina (2016).

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Reviewer for the journals: Biotropica, Caribbean Journal of Science, Journal of Mammalogy, Acta Chiropterologica, Caribbean Naturalist (Associate Editor), Biotropica, and the National Science Foundation. Editorial Board of Focus, a multidisciplinary journal and Interesante, a magazine of the Bayamón Campus.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

 Board of Directors, Residents Association, Urb. Parque San Miguel (1996-1998).

 Fundación Museo de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico (pro-bono consultant for the design of the Museum of Natural History, 1997-2000).

 Ciudadanos del Karso (Environmental organization). Scientific Advisor, 1998- Present.

  Bat Conservation International. Review Board.   2000- 2019.

  Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Puerto Rico. Advisory Board to the    Secretary on matters of wildlife, 2001 – 2006.

    Municipality of Caguas, Advisory Board on Science and Technology, 2006.

    Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Puerto Rico (2009 - present). Founder and member  of the Advisory Board.

AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS

2024   Dedication of the 10th Bat Festival of the Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Puerto Rico. Held at Bacardí, Puerto Rico.

2009   International Institute of Tropical forestry US Forest Service Science Award “In recognition of long-term research on bats”

 2008   IUCN Global Mammal Assessment: Small mammals of Mesoamerica, México and the Caribbean, Centro Zamorano de Biodiversidad, Honduras. Member of the Chiroptera Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission.

                              2006   NSF’s Committee of Visitors to Evaluate the Program of Environmental Sciences.

                              2002   United Who’s Who Registry.

  2002   U. S. Forest Service New Century of Service Award (as part of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry’s Karst Group).

   2002   Dedication of the 22nd Symposium on Wildlife.   Sacred Heart University, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

   1992   Dedication of the 7th Initiation Ceremony; Students Techno-Scientific Association, Inter American University at Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

     1989   Exceptional Merit Award Inter American University of Puerto Rico

   (One faculty member was selected at each campus based on his/her performance in teaching, service to the University, community service and research; a cash prize accompanied the award).

HOBBIES

Sea-Kayaking, snorkeling, beer brewing, wine tastings organizer, literature, and history.

MISCELANEOUS

·   Some field experience with bats in Australia, Brazil, India, New England, México, Panamá, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic. 

·   Some research experience with reptiles, insects, nectar-feeding birds, and estuaries.  

·   Founder and former Director of Mata de Plátano Field Station, a research and educational center in the karst region of northern Puerto Rico.

·   Founder of Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Puerto Rico (Program for the Conservation of Bats of Puerto Rico), a program affiliated to the Latin American Network for the Conservation of Bats (RELCOM, in Spanish).