Acoustic cognitive map-based navigation in echolocating bats

Area of Science:

• Zoology
• Bioacoustics
• Animal Navigation

Background:

• Bats utilize echolocation for short-range orientation and obstacle avoidance.
• The capacity of echolocation for large-scale, kilometer-range navigation remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of echolocation in the large-scale navigation abilities of bats.
• To determine if bats can perform map-based navigation using solely acoustic information.
• To assess the combined effect of echolocation and vision on bat navigation.

Main Methods:

• Wild Kuhl's pipistrelle bats were translocated to unfamiliar locations.
• Navigation was tracked using a novel reverse GPS system.
• Visual, magnetic, and olfactory senses were manipulated during homing experiments.

Main Results:

• Translocated bats successfully navigated several kilometers back to their home location.
• Navigation was achieved using echolocation alone, indicating acoustic map-based navigation.
• Navigation performance improved when both echolocation and vision were available.

Conclusions:

• Bats are capable of kilometer-scale, map-based navigation primarily using echolocation.
• Environmental acoustic information is crucial for bats to create and utilize acoustic cognitive maps.
• Multisensory integration, particularly echolocation with vision, enhances navigational efficiency in bats.