Paul Cryan, PhD
Paul Cryan is a Research Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Mysteries, underdogs, and gadgets have always fascinated me, so for the past two decades I have focused my research on using technology to reveal how some of the 43+ species of U.S. bats live their cryptic lives. My particular interests include uncovering bat migration behaviors and seasonal movements, discovering the details of their winter hideouts and survival strategies, and understanding how infectious diseases influence bat populations. What began as general interest in an understudied group of mammals has grown into a practical search for answers to two of the most pressing threats currently facing U.S. bats - fatalities at wind turbines and the emerging disease known as white-nose syndrome. My basic research approach is to start by synthesizing natural history and existing information, then test plausible new hypotheses in a scientifically defensible way through observational and experimental field studies. I gravitate toward new collaborations and technologies that take us beyond existing methods and expand our abilities to follow and discover what (and how) bats are doing out there in the dark.
Professional Experience
2003 to present, Research Biologist, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
1999 to 2003, Student Trainee (SCEP), USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
1994 to 1997 & 1999 to 2002, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
1998 to 1999, Wildlife Biologist, USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
1995 to 1997, Biological Science Technician, USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Biology, University of New Mexico, 2003
M.S. Biology, University of New Mexico, 1997
B.A. Biology, The Evergreen State College, 1991
Science and Products
Roost selection by western long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) in burned and unburned piñon–juniper woodlands of southwestern Colorado
Electrolyte depletion in white-nose syndrome bats
White-nose syndrome in bats: Illuminating the darkness
A comparison of bats and rodents as reservoirs of zoonotic viruses: are bats special?
Insect prey eaten by Hoary Bats (Lasiurus cinereus) prior to fatal collisions with wind turbines
On estimating the economic value of insectivorous bats: Prospects and priorities for biologists
Inoculation of bats with European Geomyces destructans supports the novel pathogen hypothesis for the origin of white-nose syndrome
Ecology of zoonotic infectious diseases in bats: current knowledge and future directions
Environmental conditions associated with bat white-nose syndrome in the north-eastern United States
Forest Succession and Maternity Day roost selection by Myotis septentrionalis in a mesophytic hardwood forest
Confirmation of white-nose syndrome in bats of Europe and implications of this discovery toward understanding the disease in bats of North America
Evidence of late-summer mating readiness and early sexual maturation in migratory tree-roosting bats found dead at wind turbines
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Roost selection by western long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) in burned and unburned piñon–juniper woodlands of southwestern Colorado
Electrolyte depletion in white-nose syndrome bats
White-nose syndrome in bats: Illuminating the darkness
A comparison of bats and rodents as reservoirs of zoonotic viruses: are bats special?
Insect prey eaten by Hoary Bats (Lasiurus cinereus) prior to fatal collisions with wind turbines
On estimating the economic value of insectivorous bats: Prospects and priorities for biologists
Inoculation of bats with European Geomyces destructans supports the novel pathogen hypothesis for the origin of white-nose syndrome
Ecology of zoonotic infectious diseases in bats: current knowledge and future directions
Environmental conditions associated with bat white-nose syndrome in the north-eastern United States
Forest Succession and Maternity Day roost selection by Myotis septentrionalis in a mesophytic hardwood forest
Confirmation of white-nose syndrome in bats of Europe and implications of this discovery toward understanding the disease in bats of North America
Evidence of late-summer mating readiness and early sexual maturation in migratory tree-roosting bats found dead at wind turbines
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.