Computer Technology and Bioacoustics: Applications in Bat Echolocation and Behavior Research

Advances in computer technology allow researchers to work with data sets that would have previously been unavailable or impossible to analyze. When working with the ultrasonic sounds produced by bats, computer equipment is needed both for recording and data analysis. Because a bat can produce so many signals in a short time, the amount of data is simply too large for manual analyses. We have developed a set of programs in Matlab to address several different types of issues related to these types of recordings. This includes "extraction" programs that take a long segment of recorded sounds and identifies and saves each of the ultrasonic vocalizations for analysis. We have also developed "analysis" programs that analyze the individual calls produced by the extraction programs. Finally we have developed "experimental" programs that can monitor a bat's behavior, and inform a researcher of changes in that behavior. The majority of these routines are tied together by the common use of Matlab, but some do depend on other programs. We hope to develop these programs so other researchers will have the ability to write similar routines that could be used to extend or modify the functionality of the software. The ability to compile these programs also allows them to be distributed to other researchers, further expanding their usefulness.