How can a bat know where it is going at night when it can't see?

Answer 1

echolocation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_echolocation

Answer 2

Echolocation, also called Biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several mammals such as bats, dolphins and whales. The term was coined by Donald Griffin, who was the first to conclusively demonstrate its existence in bats. Two bird groups also employ this system for navigating through caves, the so called Cave Swiftlets in the genus Aerodramus (formerly Collocalia) and the unrelated Oilbird Steatornis caripensis.

Animals that use echolocation emit calls out to the environment. They listen to the echoes that return from various objects in the environment. They use these echoes to locate, range and identify the objects. Echolocation is used for navigation and for foraging (or hunting) in various environments.

Echolocation works like active sonar, using sounds made by an animal. Ranging is done by measuring the time delay between the animal's own sound emission and any echoes that return from the environment. Unlike some sonar that relies on an extremely narrow beam to localize a target, animal echolocation relies on multiple receivers. Echolocating animals have two ears positioned slightly apart. The echoes returning to the two ears arrive at different times and at different loudness levels, depending on the position of the object generating the echoes. The time and loudness differences are used by the animals to perceive direction. With echolocation the bat or other animal can see not only where it's going but can also see how big another animal is, what kind of animal it is, and other features as well.

Microbats use echolocation to navigate and forage, often in total darkness. They generally emerge from their roosts in caves or attics at dusk and forage for insects into the night. Their use of echolocation allows them to occupy a niche where there are often many insects (that come out at night since there are less predators then) and where there is less competition for food, and where there are fewer other species that may prey on the bats themselves.

Microbats generate ultrasound via the larynx and emit the sound through the nose or - much more commonly - the open mouth. Microbat calls (help·info) range in frequency from 14,000 to 100,000 Hz, mostly beyond the range of the human ear (typical human hearing range is considered to be from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz). The emitted vocalizations form a relatively broad beam of sound that is used to probe the environment.

Since the 1970s there has been an ongoing controversy among researchers as to whether bats use a form of processing known from radar termed coherent cross-correlation. Coherence means that the phase of the echolocation signals is used by the bats, cross-correlation just implies that the outgoing signal is compared with the returning echoes in a running process. Today most - but not all - researchers believe that they use cross-correlation, but in an incoherent form, termed a filter bank receiver.

When searching for prey they produce sounds at a low rate (10-20/sec). During the search phase the sound emission is coupled to respiration, which is again coupled to the wingbeat. It is speculated that this coupling conserves energy. After detecting a potential prey item, microbats increase the rate of pulses, ending with the terminal buzz, at rates as high as 200/sec. During approach to a detected target, the duration of the sounds is gradually decreasing, as is the energy of the sound.

Answer 3

Bats use echolocation. They make noises that are so high-pitched that humans cannot hear it. These noises bounce off of obstacles in the bats's way and come back to it. Bats have very large and sensitive ears that can pick up this high-pitched cry. Depending on how the sound comes back to the bat, it knows whether or not there is an obstacle in the way. If you still don't understand, it helps if you try to picture sound as a ball that bounces off of objects and goes back to the bat.

Answer 4

I am very disappointed to see that NO ONE mentioned that BATS CAN SEE! They have eyes, and YES they see with them. Most bats have good eyesight and can see just fine in the day or night, however their echolocation helps them to get a more precise location of prey items that is superior to their eyesight. They still use vision in conjunction with echolocation to find prey.

Answer 5

It uses echo-location, it sends out a high pitched noise and then the noise will bounce off of any object and then the bat knows to fly away from wherever the sound stopped and hit something.

Answer 6

What it does is send out high pitched sounds ( which are so high humans cannot hear them) and the sounds bounce off an object back to the bat. The bat can tell ,by how the sound bounced off, what it is, how big it is, and etc.

Answer 7

in my hometown right now they are taking a look at the bat problem up the valley, it,s a myth, bats can see just fine.

Answer 8

They use echo location, similar to radar. It works so well for them that not only do they avoid running into things but they can register small insects like mosquitoes so they can eat them "on the fly."

Answer 9

It has a built in radar like system. Have a great year

Answer 10

Night vision glasses

Answer 11

Because they use sonar silly.

They can't see during the day either.