2016: Field Season!

Iguana refugia -- also known as a gutter.

December 1, 2015 -- I am counting down to January 2016, my first long trip to Palo Verde (nine weeks). Along with a field assistant (stay tuned for her introduction in a future post!), I'll be testing an Encounternet System on the iguanas to gather a much fuller social network based on physical proximity.

First we will test how the Encounternet system works at our actual study site. We will simulate iguanas climbing trees, disappearing into dry forest patches, or feeding on open areas. Once we have calibrated the system, a small groups of iguanas will try out the tags in real time, eventually scaling up to a full deployment on 30 animals.

This will be an important window toward understanding how non-cooperative animals negotiate their social lives and is part of the first studying considering the social network in and egg-laying, neotropical lizard.