Thomas Valone

"Social information is a big thing for animals when making decisions," said Thomas Valone, a biologist at St. Louis University and coauthor of the study.

Thomas Valone, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri; ecology of arid ecosystems, foraging ecology and theory. valone@slu.edu

"That's good," chuckled Tom Valone, an ecologist at St. Louis University.

The women, both students on a field trip for Valone's biology of mammals course, set up a collapsible silver trap baited with birdseed.The group hoped to catch voles, mice and other small mammals in the humane trap-door traps.

Mist nets strung over water gently snared red bats and big brown bats.

A group of about 30 people followed Valone through Kennedy Forest in the dark.The group played recorded owl calls and then stood gazing into the forest canopy with ears cocked to hear answering hoots.But the only owls calling in Forest Park Friday evening were on CD.

But Valone and his students didn't leave the forest empty-handed.