Furry fliers
Bats are the only mammals that can play birds at their own game and migrate by air. In northern regions, bats hibernate in winter - like many small mammals - and often travel to special caves and other hibernation sites. In the UK, pipistrelle bats migrate in autumn from the north to spend winter in the warmer south-west. Some even cross the channel to reach southern Europe. In North America, free-tailed bats migrate in huge numbers to hibernation sites in Texas and Mexico. Over 20 million may gather in a single cave. Bats navigate by echolocation. This means they make high-pitched noises that bounce off objects around them to create an echo. This echo tells them where they are. Today scientists can use echolocation transmitters to hear these noises and discover exactly where bats are flying at night. |
