Biologist Elisabeth Kalko has spent the last ten years at Barro Colorado Island, looking for answers to that question. Using a combination of modern technology and old-fashioned field observation, Kalko has made some astonishing discoveries about how bats use echolocation to identify and catch prey. Kalko's work studying bats in the tropical forest and interpreting bat calls will tell us more about these fascinating creatures of the night. No matter how much bats are disliked, they are under-appreciated. As major predators of insects, bats are beneficial and essential to the balance of nature.
Bats are blind.
Bats are rodents. Bats are the only flying mammal. Some species of bats are threatened. Bats cause a high percentage of rabies cases. Signals reflected back can also provide information on the type and size of a prey item.