Copyright © 1999-2010 — Fundación ProSur. Derechos Reservados, All rights reserved.
CV
Education
2001-2006
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Ph.D., Biology
1990-1995
Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
B.S., Tropical Biology
Postdoctoral training
2009-
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
2006-2008
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Academic appointments
2001-2006
Teaching Fellow, Boston University. Instructor for laboratory sections in Ecology
(BI303) and Biology of Mammals (BI415/615)
2000-2002 Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Biology, The University of Kansas. Instructor at
the Tropical Studies Institute, Golfito, Costa Rica
1998-2000 Tropical Biology Instructor, Tropical Studies Institute, Golfito, Costa Rica
1997-1999 Field Biology Course Assistant, Tropical Studies Institute, Golfito, Costa Rica
1995-1996 Research Assistant, Laboratory of Microbiology, Universidad Nacional, Costa
Rica.
Honors and distinctions
1996
Best student of the Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional, Honored
by the Rector
1995
Best student of the Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional, Honored
by the Rector
Professional service and membership
Reviewer for: Journal of Zoology (1), Animal Behaviour (1), Biotropica (1), Acta Chiropterologica
(3), Revista de Biología Tropical (1), Ceylon Journal of
Science (1), Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, UNAM (1).
Membership in professional societies
American Society of Mammalogists. Member since 2000.
Asociación para la Conservación de Murciélagos de Costa Rica. Member since 2008.
Major research interests
My research focuses in understanding how different ecological factors, such as the abundance
and distribution of resources, influence the behavior and life histories of bats. Behavioral patterns
addressed in my studies include spatial behavior (home range and dispersal), mating systems,
social organization and structure, and cooperation. My research has also focused on reproductive
phenology and ontogeny of insectivorous and frugivorous bats. I use a spatial and temporal
comparative approach to understand the role of diverse ecological factors in shaping behavioral
patterns, so my research is typically conducted on diverse study sites. I am also interested in
understanding the effect of human activities on the social and spatial behavior of bats, which I
address by comparing sites with variable degrees of anthropogenic disturbance.
Research support
2009
Scott Neotropic Fund, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Cleveland Zoological Society.
Project: Understanding how bats cope with habitat loss.
2007
Rufford Small Grant for Nature Conservation, The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation.
Project: Understanding how bats cope with habitat degradation and destruction.
2005
Grants-in-aid of Research, American Society of Mammalogists. Project: Genetic
consequences of a variable fission-fusion social system.
2004
Conservation, Food and Health Foundation. Project: The relationship between feeding
and roosting resources and the abundance of bats.
2004
Student Scholarship, Bat Conservation International. Project: The relationship between
feeding and roosting resources and the abundance of bats.
2004
Scott Neotropic Fund, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Project: The relationship between
feeding and roosting resources and the abundance of tent-roosting bats in
southwestern Costa Rica.
2003
Grant providing field equipment, Idea Wild. Project: Mating behavior of tent-making
bats.
2003
Latin American Student Field Research Award, American Society of Mammalogists.
Project: Roost construction in New World tent-making bats.
2003
Financiamiento complementario a la comisión de incentivos para estudios de posgrado,
Consejo Nacional para Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Costa Rica
(CONICIT) y Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia (MICIT). Project: Ecological correlates
of mating systems in tent-making bats.
Teaching experience
Teaching Fellow, Boston University
Ecology (2001-2006)
Biology of Mammals (2002)
Adjunct lecturer, Department of Biology, The University of Kansas
Field Research on Behavior and Ecology of Bats (2002)
Introduction to the Ornithology of Costa Rica (2000-2001)
Tropical Ecology (2000-2001)
Mammals of the Neotropics (2000-2001)
People and the Forest (2000-2001)
Tropical Biology Instructor, Tropical Studies Institute, Golfito, Costa Rica
Introduction to the Ornithology of Costa Rica (1998-2000)
Tropical Ecology (1998-2000)
Mammals of the Neotropics (1998-2000)
Biodiversity of the Rainforest (1998-2000)
Ethnobotany of Costa Rica (1998-2000)
Field Biology Course Assistant, Tropical Studies Institute, Golfito, Costa Rica
Natural History of Costa Rica (1997-1999)
Ethnobotany of Costa Rica (1997-1999)
Socio-biology of Purruja Mangroves (1997-1999)
Invited seminars
2008
Geographic variation in the social behavior of two foliage-roosting bats. Monteverde
Institute
2006
Bats: cultural vision and their role in the ecosystem. Universidad Nacional
2005
Geographic variation in behavior. Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
2005
Bats: myth, reality and importance. Universidad Nacional
2002
Bat mating systems. Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Costa Rica, Museo
Nacional de Costa Rica
Conference presentations
2009
E. H. Gillam, G. Chaverri, and M.J. Vonhof. Marco! Polo! Social calls used by
Thyroptera tricolor for locating roostmates. Paper presented in the Annual North
American Symposium on Bat Research, Portland, Oregon.
2008
M.R. Buchalski, G. Chaverri, and M.J. Vonhof. Correlating roost habitat availability and
local population densities: a first step toward determining carrying capacity for Spix’s
disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor, in southern Costa Rica. Poster presented in the
Annual North American Symposium on Bat Research, Scranton, Pennsylvania.
2007
G. Chaverri and M.J. Vonhof. Comparative social structure of Spix’s disc-winged bat,
Thyroptera tricolor. Paper presented in the International Bat Research Conference in
Mérida, México.
2005
G. Chaverri, O.E. Quirós, and T.H. Kunz. Ecological correlates of home range size
variation in the tent-making bat Artibeus watsoni. Paper presented in the Annual North
American Symposium on Bat Research, Sacramento, California.
2004
G. Chaverri. Reproductive biology and behavior of the tent-making bat Artibeus
watsoni. Paper presented in the Annual North American Symposium on Bat Research,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
2002
G. Chaverri. Roost fidelity in the tent-making bat Artibeus watsoni (Chiroptera:
Phyllostomidae). Poster presented in the Annual North American Symposium on Bat
Research, Burlington, Vermont.
Bibliography
Chaverri, G. and T.H. Kunz. 2010. Ecological determinants of social systems: perspectives on the
functional role of roosting ecology in the social behavior of tent-roosting bats. Advances in the
Study of Behavior. In press.
Chaverri, G., E.H. Gillam and M.J. Vonhof. 2010. Social calls used by a leaf-roosting bat to signal
location. Biology Letters. In press.
Chaverri, G., and E.H. Gillam. 2010. Cooperative signaling behavior of roost location in a leaf-
roosting bat. Communicative & Integrative Biology. In press.
Chaverri, G. 2010. Comparative social network analysis in a leaf-roosting bat. Behavioral Ecology
and Sociobiology. In press.
Chaverri, G. and M.J. Vonhof. 2010. Reproduction and growth in a neotropical insectivorous bat.
Acta Chiropterologica. In press.
Chaverri, G., C.J. Schneider and T.H. Kunz. 2008. Mating system of the tent-making bat Artibeus
watsoni (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Journal of Mammalogy, 89:1361-1371.
Chaverri, G., O. E. Quirós, M. Gamba-Ríos and T. H. Kunz. 2007. Ecological correlates of roost
fidelity in the tent-making bat Artibeus watsoni. Ethology, 113:598-605.
Chaverri, G., O. E. Quirós, and T. H. Kunz. 2007. Ecological correlates of range size in the tent-
making bat Artibeus watsoni. Journal of Mammalogy, 88:477-486.
Chaverri, G., M. Gamba-Ríos and T. H. Kunz. 2007. Range overlap and association patterns in
the tent-making bat Artibeus watsoni. Animal Behaviour, 73:157-164.
Chaverri, G. and T. H. Kunz. 2006. Roosting ecology of the tent-roosting bat Artibeus watsoni
(Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in southwestern Costa Rica. Biotropica, 38:77-84.
Chaverri, G. 2006. Flora bacteriana aeróbica del tracto digestivo del vampiro común, Desmodus
rotundus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Revista de Biología Tropical, 54:717-724.
Chaverri, G. and T.H. Kunz. 2006. Reproductive biology and postnatal development in the tent-
making bat Artibeus watsoni (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Journal of Zoology, 270:650-656.