Bats: Roosting, hunting, and echolocation
Bats: Roosting, hunting, and echolocation
A colony of bats leaves their roost at twilight to feed on insects.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.A colony of bats leaves their roost at twilight to feed on insects.
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© World Science Festival (A Britannica Publishing Partner)How dolphins "see" with sound.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Watch this video to learn more about eagles and their habitats.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The misconception likely started because most bats hunt by way of echolocation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The unique architecture of the hummingbird's wings allow it to hover over flowers in midflight. Iridescent feathers on the head and throat display a variety of brilliant colours.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the bat.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Plot twist: bears aren't true hibernators.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) reach tremendous speeds—up to 320 km (200 miles) per hour—before striking their prey, which includes ducks and a wide variety of songbirds and shorebirds.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.A golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) taking flight and capturing a rabbit.
Transcript
NARRATOR: Bats generally live in groups or colonies, roosting during the day in isolated places such as dark caves, cliff crevices, and abandoned buildings. It is at night that bats leave their roosts to forage. Most bats feed on insects, chasing down and capturing large quantities of their prey in flight. Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly.
Most species of bats possess the ability to orient acoustically by echolocation. They emit short high-frequency sound pulses that are reflected from objects in vicinity. The returning echoes are picked up by the bats' highly sensitive ears and are used to locate prey and avoid obstacles in the dark.
Most species of bats possess the ability to orient acoustically by echolocation. They emit short high-frequency sound pulses that are reflected from objects in vicinity. The returning echoes are picked up by the bats' highly sensitive ears and are used to locate prey and avoid obstacles in the dark.