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Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture
Published on: October 23, 2019
Echolocating bats cry out loud to detect their prey.
Annemarie Surlykke1, Elisabeth K V Kalko
1Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. ams@biology.sdu.dk
Plos One
|May 1, 2008
Summary
Bat echolocation intensity, largely overlooked, is crucial for foraging and resource partitioning. Bats adjust call intensity and frequency to maintain consistent prey detection ranges across diverse habitats and species.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Bioacoustics
- Ecology
Background:
- Echolocating bats adapt call time-frequency structure to habitats and foraging.
- Bat call intensity, a key factor for echolocation range, has been understudied.
- Intensity differences may drive resource partitioning in species-rich bat communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate emitted intensities of insectivorous bats in Panama.
- Determine how intensity relates to habitat, foraging strategy, and prey detection.
- Explore the role of intensity in resource partitioning among bat species.
Main Methods:
- Recorded echolocation call intensities of 11 insectivorous bat species in Panama.
- Used a multi-microphone array and photographic methods for spatial assessment.
- Measured source levels and call intensities in relation to distance and habitat.
Main Results:
- All studied bats emitted intense search signals, reducing intensity when approaching obstacles.
- Open space and edge foragers emitted 122-134 dB SPL; water foragers emitted up to 140 dB SPL.
- Despite intensity variation, prey detection distances were similar, with high intensity linked to high frequency.
Conclusions:
- Bats adjust echolocation intensity and frequency to compensate for air attenuation, ensuring consistent prey detection ranges.
- Prey detection range acts as a unifying constraint on emitted intensity for bats with similar hunting strategies.
- This finding is largely independent of call structure, body size, or phylogeny.
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