Saturday 14 December 2013

Stealth Maneuver Allows Nectar Bats to Target Insect Prey

Dec. 12, 2013 — A nectar-feeding bat that was thought to eat insects in passing has been discovered to target its moving prey with stealth precision, according to new research by a scientist at Queen Mary University of London.

The researchers uncovered for the first time that the Pallas long-tongued bat use echolocation -- a complex physical trait that involves the production, reception and auditory processing of ultrasonic pulses for detecting unseen obstacles or tracking down prey. Most bats produce a rapid sequence of echolocation pulses to attack their prey and many insects have developed 'bat-detecting ears' in return to avoid being caught.

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