QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online November 30, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 4457-4464 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.007435

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Melcón, M. L. Articles by Schnitzler, H.-U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Melcón, M. L. Articles by Schnitzler, H.-U. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Aerial hawking and landing: approach behaviour in Natterer's bats, Myotis nattereri (Kuhl 1818)

Mariana L. Melcón^*, Annette Denzinger and Hans-Ulrich Schnitzler

Tierphysiologie, Zoologisches Institut, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen 72076, Germany

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: maru_melcon{at}web.de)

Accepted 8 October 2007

We compared the flight and echolocation behaviour of a vespertilionid bat (Myotis nattereri) approaching a large stationary or a small moving target. Bats were trained to either land on a landing grid or to catch a moving tethered mealworm. When closing in on these two targets, the bats emitted groups of sounds with increasing number of signals and decreasing pulse interval and duration. When pursuing the mealworm, the approach phase always ended with a terminal group consisting of buzz I and buzz II. When landing, the bats emitted either a terminal group consisting of buzz I alone, with one or two extra pulses, or a group consisting of buzz I and buzz II. In all situations, buzz I ended on average between 47–63 ms prior to contact with the target of interest, which is approximately the reaction time of bats. Therefore, the information collected in buzz II does not guide the bats to the target. The relevant part of the approach phase to reach the target ends with buzz I. The basic sound pattern of this part is rather similar and independent of whether the bats approach the large stationary or the small moving target.

Key words: Myotis nattereri, approach, bat, buzz, echolocation

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. K. Verfuss, L. A. Miller, P. K. D. Pilz, and H.-U. Schnitzler Echolocation by two foraging harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2009; 212(6): 823 - 834. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]