Bats Can Jam Each Other's Ultrasonic Signals

sciencehabit writes Just before nabbing an insect, a bat emits a rapid series of ultrasonic calls whose echoes back pinpoint the prey's exact location. Scientists call these sounds 'the feeding buzz,' and they're known to attract other bats presumably in search of a meal. When another bat arrives, it can jam the hunter's buzz, according to a new study, much like someone blocking a radio signal. That causes the original bat to miss its meal, allowing its competitor to swoop in to grab the insect instead. This is the first time that this type of competitive interference among individuals of the same species has been discovered in animals, the scientists say.

Comments

dogs

[dhammabum]

I remember when I was a kid we had two basset hounds, mother and son. The son wasn't too bright. They would both get a bone, the mother would eat hers quickly and the son would doddle. She would then rush at the gate, barking furiously (at no one). The son would run up and start barking too. The mum would then double back and get his bone.

Fair enough, she wasn't using sonar but it was "competitive interference among individuals of the same species."