E204: What can bats learn from eavesdropping? [SJK Audio Edition]

Read this article at: or watch at: https://youtu.be/dYpODn4Q8GoSummary: Fringe-lipped bats get better at identifying frogs and toads by their mating calls as they get older.Abstract: Can you think of a sound that tells you that you’re about to get your favourite food? Maybe a friend opens a bag of chips, or you hear corn popping. Listening helped you get a snack! Some animals are very good at listening, too. If you have a dog or a cat, they’ll probably appear when they hear you pick up their food bowl. Some bats also use sounds to find their favourite things to eat. But we didn’t know how much information they get from listening to their prey. We played sounds from different frogs and toads to see how fringe-lipped bats responded. We found that adult bats reacted more to species that were good to eat. In contrast, juvenile bats responded strongly to some poisonous species of toads. All the bats responded to acoustic signals related to size. Experience seems to help bats learn which sounds to tune into for a chance at a good meal. You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com