Many of these questions are about how katydids communicate. Their sounds fill the nighttime air, but what do they mean and how did they evolve? To better understand katydid calls, they bring katydids they've collected into a special recording studio so they can record the sounds they make. With all the fancy microphones and sound equipment they have set up, these chirping katydids look like Katy Perry recording a new song!
As someone who studies mammals, I'm not allowed to collect animals for research the way that the entomologists can. One reason for this is because there just aren't as many kinkajous on the island as there are katydids, and taking a few kinkajous out of their habitat could disrupt island life more dramatically than the loss of a few katydids. Another reason is that mammals can be more dangerous than these bugs. Only one species of the katydids bites on this island, so catching them is fairly safe. But if I were to be bitten by a kinkajou, I would not only get more seriously hurt, but I could be at risk for catching a disease like rabies from the animal. The main reason, however, is that we are asking different questions about the creatures we are studying. I wouldn't be doing any good for my research if I were to bring a kinkajou into the lab, because I want to understand how they interact with their forest habitat. The katydid team, however, needs to bring test subjects into their lab so they can record their individual calls without interference from the rest of the sounds of the jungle.
Scientists, just like everyone else, have their own special interests. Some of us came to B.C.I. to investigate plants, others are here to study birds. There's even a team here right now studying dirt!
