Insect-eating bats are among only a few groups of species, dolphins and whales too, that use echolocation to navigate, hunt and communicate with each other.
They produce sound waves, called ‘calls’, at frequencies above human hearing, they listen to the echo, and then determine the size, shape and texture of objects in their environment.
Echolocating bats can detect the flap of a moth wing over 7Â metres away and can effortlessly navigate and manoeuvre in pitch black.
Each species makes a slightly different call sound at a slightly different frequency, enabling scientists to identify the species making the call.
Bats in Backyards scientists analyse the high frequency calls recorded by participating citizen scientists and can determine which bat species have been detected in each participant’s backyard.
For any teachers and educators who would like to participate in Bats in Backyards as part of an education program, please email the Bats in Backyards team at [email protected] for resources, advice and curriculum links.