Bats use echolocation to detect obstacles during flight.
A new study has shown that modern buildings with large glass or mirrored surfaces are “potentially dangerous” for bats.
Scientists call for monitoring risks, especially in areas inhabited by large numbers of bats. These mammals possess a remarkable ability to fly at high speeds in the dark, easily avoiding natural obstacles such as trees. But smooth surface such as window glass create blind spots.
“Bats mainly rely on their system of echolocation for orientation in space. We found that bats could be wrong in determining smooth surfaces in its path. Probably this happens due to the acoustic properties of glass,” writes a team of scientists under the leadership of Stefan Gripa from the German max Planck Institute.
Bats use echolocation to detect obstacles during flight. They emit signals and catch their reflection, creating a sound map of their environment. Smooth vertical surfaces are rarely found bats in their natural habitat. While bats perfectly distinguish horizontal smooth surface such as the surface of the water.
To explore this question, the researchers analyzed the flight of big-eared bats in a dark tunnel. The researchers placed the metal plate vertically or horizontally in a corner of the tunnel and watched. 19 of the 21 bat collided with the vertical plate, at least once, but none was faced with a horizontal plate.
The findings, published in the journal Science, may explain why injured or dead bats are sometimes found near buildings. Researchers are encouraged to avoid using large amounts of glass in the construction of buildings in the habitats of bats.
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