When calling loudly, echolocation is costly for small bats
Monday, July 13, 2020 - 15:51
in Biology & Nature
Calling in the ultrasonic range enables small bats to orient themselves in the dark and track down insects. Louder calls travel farther, improving a bat's ability to detect their prey. It was long assumed that echolocation does not contribute much to energy expenditure in flight because individuals couple their calls with the beat of their wings. Scientists have now shown that high intensity echolocation calls substantially contribute to energy expenditure.