News Main
Animals
Archaeology
Dinosaurs
Earth
History
Human Animal
Space
Tech

Bats Speak Language All Their Own

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

"A similar phenomenon could occur in other bats, or even in other mammals because twins not only share the same environmental factors while growing up, but also (may) share the same genes," Knornschild said.

In a crowded roost full of bats, a mother's ability to identify her offspring is critical so she can find, nurse and care for her pups.

Barbara French, a biologist and science officer at Bat Conservation International, was not surprised to learn that bats, even baby ones, emit information-rich calls.

"Adult bats make social calls, many of which are within the range of human hearing," she told Discovery News. "You can hear them chirping, trilling, beeping and buzzing away when they are with each other. I often wonder what they're saying."

She said male bats also sing courtship calls, with each song containing its own unique stamp of identification.

"It's as though a male sings his song and then adds, 'And by the way, I'm Bob,'" French said.

As opposed to more solitary species, colonial creatures like bats need to constantly identify themselves and share other information with each other, French explained. That is one reason why bats, from pups to adults, are so vocal.

Related Links:

Bat Calls

Bat Conservation International

Noctule Bats