Slide 1
Many bats locate obstacles and prey through echoes
Many bats emit calls and listen for returning echoes. This echolocation helps them locate obstacles and prey while moving through the air.
More to Read
An echo returns after sound travels to an object and back. Differences in timing and sound properties supply information beyond simply hearing that something is nearby.
Slide 2
More frequent calls guide the final pursuit
A hunting bat changes its calls as it approaches prey. Frequent returning information helps guide the final part of the pursuit.
More to Read
The calls must work in a particular habitat. A cluttered forest presents different acoustic problems from open sky, helping explain variation among bat species and their hunting strategies.
Slide 3
Echolocation works alongside sight
Bats have eyes and can see. Echolocation adds another source of information rather than proving that its users are blind.
More to Read
Bat diets also vary: species eat insects, fruit, nectar or other foods. A description of an insect-hunting bat should not be applied to every member of this diverse mammal group.
Slide 4
Some insects detect the calls and change behaviour
Some insects detect bat calls and change their behaviour. Hunting by sound therefore takes place in a responsive ecological setting.
More to Read
Avoidance may reduce a bat's chance of capture, while bats can alter searching tactics. Predator and prey traits make sense together rather than as isolated lists of animal abilities.
Slide 5
Recordings let researchers study hidden night activity
Recordings reveal bats active at night without requiring a person to see each animal. Acoustic surveys can help study their distribution.
More to Read
Call patterns can overlap among species and change with context. A recording is useful evidence, but reliable identification may require other observations rather than an automatic label alone.
Sources
- Bat Facts
Smithsonian Institution
- All About Bats
National Park Service