How do bats use echolocation?

Echolocation is a system of complex sound waves used like sonar to determine the location of objects in your immediate space. Bats use this method to safely move around and find food in the dark. To echolocate, San Antonio bats send out a serious of clicks and screeches, too high a frequency for the human ear to hear. When these sounds strike an object they produce echoes that then tell the bat what the object “looks like”. It is actually a simple process. Sound is made when air from the Texas bat’s lungs rushes past it’s vocal cords making fluctuations in the air. The resulting sound wave then moves forward by pushing air particles and then pulling them back in. It continues moving forward in this way until it strikes an object which then deflects the wave back to the bat. The bat then processes this information in order to “see" the object. It is just like you yelling into a large space like a cave canyon and hearing your own echo.

This is an important tool to the bats because even though they are a nocturnal Texas animal, they have extremely poor night vision. They use their built in sonar or Echolocation in a number of ways. Echolocation can help a bat use sound to build a sonic map of their San Antonio surroundings. For directional flying a bat emits sound from its mouth. As the sound pings off an object, the bat’s brain processes the knowledge and turns it into a visual map the bat can see. This way it gets a fairly accurate idea of the shape and size of the landscape or object in front of them. By using an erratic flying pattern and constantly shouting out sounds the bat can get a pretty good picture of the surrounding area. It is detailed enough for the bat to know whether the road is clear or if he is flying into a Texas building, forest, or cave.

The rapid firing of sound also lets him know if the object is stationary or moving. This can help him avoid danger such as a car, owl, or other predator. Bats can also use this built in sonar to identify food. To locate small flying insect’s Texas bats will emit sound through their nasal cavities, or nose. This lets them locate the smallest of insects with pinpoint accuracy. A San Antonio bat’s extraordinary hearing coupled with Echolocation makes it a formidable navigator and excellent hunter.

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