Bats change strategy when food is scarce
Friday, September 5, 2014 - 00:32
in Biology & Nature
Bats could be more flexible in their echolocation behavior than previously thought, according to a new study into the foraging techniques of the desert long-eared bat. Gleaning bats usually have long ears for the detection of faint sound cues and low wing loading to allow them to carry heavy loads -- features that increase drag and are linked to slower flight. So why would bats adapted to one foraging mode (gleaning), adopt another (hawking)?