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Field Assistants Needed in Panama
I am periodically looking for assistants to help with an ongoing investigation of the foraging
behavior and cognitive ecology of the Neotropical frog-eating bat,
Trachops cirrhosus. Research is conducted in Gamboa, Panama, at a field station run by the
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. If you are interested, please
send a resume, a brief letter of interest, and contact information for three references to Rachel Page
(PageR@si.edu).
Field
Work
The work consists of mist-netting bats in the forest and conducting
behavioral experiments in a flight cage. No prior experience is
necessary, but you must be comfortable working in rigorous field
conditions. You will have to be able to hike several miles with a moderately heavy
backpack to netting sites in the rainforest, and be able to drive manual
transmission 4x4 trucks. You should be comfortable
working in hot and humid conditions, tolerant of ticks and chiggers, and
able to work late into the night. Behavioral experiments are conducted
in a large outdoor flight cage and involve
broadcasting acoustic stimuli from speakers and quantifying the bats'
responses. Additional tasks include data entry, video analysis, net repairs,
and general bat caretaking.
Schedule
The majority
of the work is in the evenings, from 4 pm to 2 am, and the days are
free. This schedule leaves plenty of time to investigate other research
projects and to travel in Panama. I require a minimum stay of three
months
(preference given to applicants who can stay longer).
Accommodations
Work is conducted in Gamboa,
a small town located on the Panama Canal, approximately 45 min from
Panama City. Accommodations and laboratories have
electricity, running water, laundry facilities, telephones, and internet
access. For more
information about the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and its
field stations, please visit
www.stri.org.
Bat illustration by
Kristina Schlegel, ©2007 |
