Fun Facts About Bat Echolocation

Bats use echolocation to find food and to navigate when flying. Echolocation is easily explained. The bat sends out a sound wave and waits for the sound to hit an object. When the sound wave hits, it bounces off the object and returns to the bat as an echo. Bats can identify the object by its echo alone; this includes the size, shape and texture of the insects near the bat.

  1. Bat Echolocation Noises

    • The bat can quickly change the number of pulses it emits.

      The bat produces the echolocation calls, otherwise known as pulses, by forcing air past thin vocal membranes found in the voice box. The sound then travels either through the mouth or the nose, depending upon the bat species. Most bats use the mouth because it is easier to use with echolocation. Once the sound is emitted, the bat waits for the echoed return.

    A Bat's Hearing

    • The bat needs its large ears to successfully use its echolocation.

      A bat has significantly large ears for its head and body size. The ears are also funnel-shaped, making it easier for a bat to catch more sound. In addition to the large ears, bats have a flap inside each ear that helps direct the sound once it enters the ear canal. Bat ears are specially constructed to better handle specialized ultrasonic frequency ranges.

    Bat Identification

    • This is the reason the tragus deflects certain sounds but gathers others.

      Depending on the bat species, the bat will either use a beeping or a clicking sound when using echolocation. The bats that use the clicking sound in echolocation are using a system in which each click has a distinct meaning, similar to what we would use with Morse Code. These specialized beeps and clicks help bats determine which echolocation sound belongs to them personally, as well as how to identify their own young in a crowded roost.

    The Accuracy of a Bat's Echolocation

    • Try catching one of these tiny fish while flying through the air.

      Some bat species have very sophisticated echolocation systems to assist them in catching difficult prey. For example, the fishing bat has echolocation that can detect a minnow that is just below the water's surface. The bat's echolocation can identify the minnow's fin, even though the fin is can be no thicker than a single human hair. This skill makes these bats the ultimate champions at finding the needle in the haystack.

    Echolocation Power

    • And you thought your music was too loud.

      The bat's beep can reach up to a level of 130 on the decibel system. This level is comparable to the sound a firework or a jackhammer makes. The bat can also change how quickly the pulses are put out, especially when chasing prey. Bats often emit 10 pulses per second, but they can increase the pulse output as high as 200 pulses per second when in hot pursuit.