Bats use echolocation for movement and detecting prey by perceiving reflected ultrasound waves. However, sometimes they crash into walls. What is the reason for this phenomenon?
Bats are capable of locating their prey, such as mosquitoes and other small insects, through acoustic waves. Echolocation allows these creatures to determine the location of both small and large objects, as well as their shape and size. The bat's brain analyzes the frequency, wavelength, and volume of the sounds it detects and can 'determine' the location of an object in a matter of milliseconds.
However, sometimes bats collide with walls even after detecting them in advance using echolocation. Why does this happen? The fact is that this behavior is related to errors in acoustic perception rather than limitations of the echolocation system itself.
Research has shown that bats collide with long walls that have many pores, which create weak echoes. The ultrasound emitted by the animal is absorbed by the walls and does not reflect back, creating the illusion of no obstacle. The behavior of bats indicates that they misinterpret the signal received through echolocation.
According to researchers, the cause of bats colliding with walls is an unnatural combination of a large object and a weak echo from it. This disrupts the sensory perception of bats and causes them to ignore the obstacle, similar to how people bump into transparent barriers.
Leave a comment