Caleb Cook Ryan

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Handling a bat in the field

about me

My name is Caleb (he/him), and I am currently a PhD Candidate in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

My research broadly focuses on the social behaviour of bats. My work is strongly interdisciplinary, linking approaches from psychology, sociology, and engineering to better understand bat lives. I am broadly interested in the integration of technology into wildlife research and using data driven approaches to expand our understanding of species’ natural histories.

My work has been supported by research grants from the American Museum of Natural History, as well as funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the University of Waterloo.

Outside of research, I try to spend as much time as possible outdoors—mountain biking, running, birding, or sleeping in my hammock.

research

Next-generation Natural History

Using technology to study animal behaviour.

  • RFID for Individual ID
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Individuality and Individual Differences

Understanding among-individual variation that shapes social structure.

  • Personality
  • In-hand aggressiveness
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projects

on-going collaborations

Long-term Mark Monitoring of Bats in Belize

Large collaboration with scientists from >40 institutions and 10 countries. Research supported by AMNH. Project featured by NPR.

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Social Structure and Behavioural Dynamics of Fringe-lipped Bats in Panama (2025)

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Research supported by STRI fellowship and AMNH.

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Social Structure and Movement Dynamics of the Jamaican Flower Bat

In collaboration with the University of the West Indies, Bat Conservation International, and York University.

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past projects

Long-term RFID Monitoring of Little Brown Bats in Ontario, Canada (2018–2024)

Part of my PhD research. Established long term monitoring program around maternity roosts in and around Pinery Provincial Park. In collaboration with Ontario Parks.

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Assessing the Population Status of Bats in Eastern Canada (2022–2023)

Capture surveys during summer and swarming. In collaboration with University of Waterloo, Environment Climate Change Canada.

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publications

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