Bats Make Predictions on Prey Movements
MAR 15, 2022
Bats calculate where their prey is headed using their echolocation abilities.
Bats Make Predictions on Prey Movements
(Inside Science) -- Angie Salles, a biologist and neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University, studies bats and their behavior. She and her colleagues trained bats to stay on a post and then watched and recorded how the bats tracked nearby insects. The bats’ echolocation calls were recorded and their head movements tracked as they changed depending on where the insects moved and how quickly. The researchers also added obstacles that interrupted the echoes. The results show that bats can usually predict their dinner’s future position, even when things like trees or branches get in the way.
