The bats of the billy Sucopteryx species, if they are in danger, launch an anguish vocalization. The other bats recognize the voice of those who are calling and react. Unless it’s a fake.
Even bats, like us humans and other animals, have their own “voice” that other specimens recognize. Acting accordingly. This is what Danilo Russo’s study of the Federico II University of Naples, Mirjam Knörnschild and Martina Nagy of the Museum Für Naturkunde of Berlin tried. The scientists analyzed the stress signals issued by the bats of the billy Sacoploweryx species, followed on the island of Barro Colorado in Panama, and they saw what the reactions of the other members of their group were: at the study we dedicate an article on Evidence Network n ° 391.
The males remain at home. “These bats are spread from Mexico to South America and form colonies of about sixty individuals, on the trees or even on the walls of the buildings: compared to other species they are more visible and therefore easier to study”, tells us Danilo Russo, professor of behavioral ecology at the Federico II University of Naples. “In the colony there are several males with a harem of females: in reality the males defend a territory and the females inside, but these actively choose their companions and can also mate with the male of another harem or with one of those who do not have it. The males court the females with” songs “and with a performance in flight. And in this species they are the males who tend to stay in the Christmas refuge and are therefore all related, while the females fly away and join other groups “.
We don’t hear them. This species is known, as well as for its social structure, for very complex vocalizations. “They have 25 different types of syllables, used single or combined in vocalizations of multiple syllables. The frequencies are largely in the ultrasound, and therefore not audible for us humans, but there may be a audible component: it is the case of the territorial vocalizations of the males, which are at lower frequencies because these have a lesser attenuation in the atmosphere and therefore arrive far away from the atmosphere. Cologne Claus listen to these vocalizations and enter the new colony.
As in our children. These bats must actively learn their vocalizations.
“We have seen that in Saccopteryx bubblet there is something similar to the lallation of our children, to the stammering of the little ones who are learning to speak: the small bats must learn the territorial singing from adult males and begin to do singing tests, combining the syllables, exercising. Another curious thing is that the mothers have a” baby talk “just like us humans, or a particular way of communicating with the cubs: Different frequencies in the vocalizations with which they interact with the little ones, “explains Russo.
stress signs. The study conducted by Danilo Russo and colleagues focused on particular vocalizations: those of stress or anguish, emitted by bats in danger, for example when they are captured by a predator. “We know that the other bats of the group react, going towards the sound. We are not sure of the reason: it could simply be an exploration of the threat, with the possible side effect of distracting the predator, or it could be a manifestation of active cooperation that provides help to partner doing mobbing to the predator”.
Everyone has his signature. As the ecologist continues, “the study showed that animals have an individual vocal” signature “: the vocalizations of each of them have different spectral characteristics, that artificial intelligence distinguishes. In practice, every bat has its voice and the others recognize it. In the experiment we made the colony listen to the recorded vocalizations of members of the group. If the voice was that of an individual who had flown away, They alarmed, they raised themselves and went to the speaker.
