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First published online December 16, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 11-20 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.023226

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Intense echolocation calls from two `whispering' bats, Artibeus jamaicensis and Macrophyllum macrophyllum (Phyllostomidae)

Signe Brinkløv^1,*, Elisabeth K. V. Kalko^2,3 and Annemarie Surlykke¹

¹ Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark SDU, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
² Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
³ Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panamá

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: brinklov{at}biology.sdu.dk)

Accepted 26 October 2008

Bats use echolocation to exploit a variety of habitats and food types. Much research has documented how frequency–time features of echolocation calls are adapted to acoustic constraints imposed by habitat and prey but emitted sound intensities have received little attention. Bats from the family of Phyllostomidae have been categorised as low intensity (whispering) gleaners, assumed to emit echolocation calls with low source levels (approximately 70 dB SPL measured 10 cm from the bat's mouth). We used a multi-microphone array to determine intensities emitted from two phyllostomid bats from Panamá with entirely different foraging strategies. Macrophyllum macrophyllum hunts insects on the wing and gaffs them with its tail membrane and feet from or above water surfaces whereas Artibeus jamaicensis picks fruit from vegetation with its mouth. Recordings were made from bats foraging on the wing in a flight room. Both species emitted surprisingly intense signals with maximum source levels of 105 dB SPL r.m.s. for M. macrophyllum and 110 dB SPL r.m.s. for A. jamaicensis, hence much louder than a `whisper'. M. macrophyllum was consistently loud (mean source level 101 dB SPL) whereas A. jamaicensis showed a much more variable output, including many faint calls and a mean source level of 96 dB SPL. Our results support increasing evidence that echolocating bats in general are much louder than previously thought. We discuss the importance of loud calls and large output flexibility for both species in an ecological context.

Key words: bats, echolocation, field recordings, intensity, phyllostomids, source levels

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