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Using sutures to attach miniature tracking tags to small bats for multimonth movement and behavioral studies

Overview of attention for article published in Ecology and Evolution, July 2015
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  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (75th percentile)
  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (71st percentile)

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Title
Using sutures to attach miniature tracking tags to small bats for multimonth movement and behavioral studies
Published in
Ecology and Evolution, July 2015
DOI 10.1002/ece3.1584
Pubmed ID
Authors

Kevin T Castle, Theodore J Weller, Paul M Cryan, Cris D Hein, Michael R Schirmacher

Abstract

Determining the detailed movements of individual animals often requires them to carry tracking devices, but tracking broad-scale movement of small bats (<30 g) has been limited by transmitter technology and long-term attachment methods. This limitation inhibits our understanding of bat dispersal and migration, particularly in the context of emerging conservation issues such as fatalities at wind turbines and diseases. We tested a novel method of attaching lightweight global positioning system (GPS) tags and geolocating data loggers to small bats. We used monofilament, synthetic, absorbable sutures to secure GPS tags and data loggers to the skin of anesthetized big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Colorado and hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) in California. GPS tags and data loggers were sutured to 17 bats in this study. Three tagged bats were recaptured 7 months after initial deployment, with tags still attached; none of these bats showed ill effects from the tag. No severe injuries were apparent upon recapture of 6 additional bats that carried tags up to 26 days after attachment; however, one of the bats exhibited skin chafing. Use of absorbable sutures to affix small tracking devices seems to be a safe, effective method for studying movements of bats over multiple months, although additional testing is warranted. This new attachment method has the potential to quickly advance our understanding of small bats, particularly as more sophisticated miniature tracking devices (e.g., satellite tags) become available.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 10 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 141 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 2 1%
Switzerland 1 <1%
Germany 1 <1%
Netherlands 1 <1%
New Zealand 1 <1%
Unknown 135 96%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 28 20%
Student > Ph. D. Student 22 16%
Student > Master 19 13%
Student > Doctoral Student 10 7%
Student > Bachelor 10 7%
Other 19 13%
Unknown 33 23%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 59 42%
Environmental Science 34 24%
Immunology and Microbiology 3 2%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 1%
Social Sciences 2 1%
Other 6 4%
Unknown 35 25%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 6. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 26 August 2015.
All research outputs
#6,374,203
of 25,374,917 outputs
Outputs from Ecology and Evolution
#3,259
of 8,477 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#67,725
of 276,685 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Ecology and Evolution
#25
of 89 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,917 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 74th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 8,477 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 13.0. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 61% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 276,685 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 75% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 89 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 71% of its contemporaries.