BatLog: open-source passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag logger for wildlife behavioral studies
Author:
Angel Eunisse Yanga ’28
Co-Authors:
Luis Víquez-R, Ashlyn P. Sak, Thomas Mazzarulli, Imran Ejotre, DeeAnn M. Reeder and Kenneth A. Field
Faculty Mentor(s):
Ken Field, Biology
DeeAnn Reeder, Biology
Funding Source:
#R01AI51144 (NIAID) to DR and KF, Joann E. Walthour Undergraduate Research Fund to AY
Abstract
Automated monitoring of individually marked animals enables the collection of high-resolution activity data, yet commercial systems capable of continuous individual organism tracking remain inaccessible to many research programs. BatLog is a modular, open-source passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag logging system built on Arduino-compatible hardware, costing ~3.5% of average commercial systems. BatLog is designed to extend the application of existing PIT tag infrastructure by incorporating individual identification data into continuous behavioral datasets, without requiring additional animal handling or marking. A dual-antenna configuration enables directional detection, allowing each tracking interaction to be classified as an animal entry or exit event. Deployed in a controlled laboratory setup at Bucknell University, USA, the BatLog system recorded 40,653 paired directional events across 20 individually identified organisms. The Arduino-compatible architecture supports integration with additional sensors, including temperature, humidity, accelerometers, and acoustic monitors, making BatLog broadly applicable to behavioral and ecological studies across taxa.