Technology and simulation of bat population dynamics

Emergences of Brazilian free tailed bats from cave or bridge habitats are spectacular flights that can last as long as several hours. Using an infrared thermal video of the emergence from Frio Cave in Texas as motivation and as a data source, we develop an individual-based simulation model of an emergence of Brazilian free tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana). The simulation of the spatial dynamics of the bats in the emergence column is represented by rules assumed to govern bat behavior during the emergence. The simulated emergent behavior mimics many of the characteristics of the flow of the bats in the video including column formation and a swirling motion within the column. An ultimate application of this model development is the estimation of the numbers of bats in the emergence video and leads to the application of counting the number of bats in a cave or bridge habitat.