Research 2009 - 2011
Being Batman - It's Not All Warm and Fuzzy
Craig, to the Bat Cave!
Craig Willis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biology
As an undergrad, Dr. Craig Willis became intrigued by how small warm-bodied mammals survived our frigid winters. How do they balance heat loss, energy output, and food intake? How do these pressures influence habitat selection and other resource requirements? These questions, and more, fuel Dr. Willis' curiosity, and the answers are important for species and ecosystem conservation.
“We aim to understand what motivates animals in decisions about where to live, when to be active and inactive, and how to maintain a balance between energy intake and expenditure. This is important for understanding the evolution of physiological and behavioral traits, and is essential for wildlife management and conservation.” Insect-eating bats, and mammals like voles, mice, and shrews are ideal subjects for comparative study. They face similar constraints but use different mechanisms to survive winter and resource shortfalls during summer.
Around the globe, some 20% of all mammal species are bats. Since most are insectivorous, they play critical roles in regulating insect populations. Smallnon-flying mammals serve similar crucial roles. Dr. Willis is studying the correlation between the behaviour and physiology of individuals within populations. “Traditionally, evolutionary physiology has focused on average metabolic traits of species or populations but some researchers are beginning to look at individual variations. We are studying meadow voles to see how personality influences physiology and an individual animal's ability to thermoregulate during winter orprepare for action in response to a predator. Personality could affect survival and reproductive success in unexpected ways.”
Dr. Willis and his team are also working on pressing issues for bat conservation in North America. They are measuring body temperatures of hibernating bats to better understand cycles of energy expenditure during hibernation. In only two years, a devastating new disease called White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed hundreds of thousands of hibernating bats in the Northeastern U.S. and the disease appears to be spreading. WNS may disrupt hibernation patterns and Willis' research could reveal potential solutions. Dr. Willis and his students have also collected compelling evidence that may help resolve the issue of wind turbine mortality for migrating bat populations.