New instruments advance biology by letting us see what was previously hidden. The new thermographic imaging technology has the potential to do for population biology and physiological ecology what the microscope did for microbiology. This rugged, easy to use instrument allows animals and their surroundings to be viewed by the thermal radiation emitted by surfaces at normal temperatures. Undisturbed animals can be located, identified and observed when otherwise hidden by night or camouflage, their skin (and indirectly, body) temperature measured, and their thermal environment mapped in detail. The quantity and quality of data are improved while disturbance to the animal is reduced. The group sharing this instrument will use it for a variety of studies of fundamental biological processes and develop applications in conservation biology, such as the following examples. Thermal mapping - A small animal inhabits a thermal environment that often varies by 10 - 20C over a distance of centimeters. This degree of detail cannot be represented by current techniques for thermal mapping. Thermography can map the thermal environment at an unprecedented centimeter-level resolution. By using well established techniques of remote sensing, satellite navigation, and computer mapping we will study interactions between the behavior, thermal environment, and population ecology of small animals in thermally stressful environments, e.g. desert lizards and arctic birds. Thermal physiology-Telephoto thermal images of animals can estimate body temperature and regional heat loss rates. This is valuable for study of the poorly understood periodic arousals of hibernating bats. Arousals deplete body fat reserves and may thus decrease winter survival. Remote-controlled time-lapse thermography of clusters of hibernating bats can identify arousing bats and monitor their activities without disturbance. We can thus study undisturbed hibernation behavior as well as the effects of human disturbance. Detection and tracking-Thermography is especially effective for detection and tracking of normally cryptic animals. For the first time we can track large numbers of undisturbed bats and locate their hibernacula, roosting sites, and feeding sites. Similarly, we can now track cryptically colored shorebird hatchlings in Arctic environments. We will also use thermography to detect the thermal radiation emitted by recently incubated eggs to locate the camouflaged nests of grassland birds with more efficiency and less disturbance than present methods. The precise location of nests, roosts, hibernacula and other important sites will be recorded with a precision GPS satellite navigation system. Together, these instruments promise to revolutionize our understanding of the demography of many species, including those of special concern because of declining populations.
