Abstract
When hunting for fish Noctilio leporinus uses several strategies. In high search flight it flies within 20–50 cm of the water surface and emits groups of two to four echolocation signals, always containing at least one pure constant frequency (CF) pulse and one mixed CF-FM pulse consisting of a CF component which is followed by a frequency-modulated (FM) component. The pure CF signals are the longest, with an average duration of 13.3 ms and a maximum of 17 ms. The CF component of the CF-FM signals averages 8.9 ms, the FM sweeps 3.9 ms. The CF components have frequencies of 52.8–56.2 kHz and the FM components have an average bandwidth of 25.9 kHz. A bat in high search flight reacts to jumping fish with “pointed dips” at the spot where a fish has broken the surface. As it descends to the water surface the bat shows the typical approach pattern of all bats with decreasing pulse duration and pulse interval. A jumping fish reveals itself by a typical pattern of temporary echo glints, reflected back to the bat from its body and from the water disturbance. In low search flight N. leporinus drops to a height of only 4–10 cm, with body parallel to the water, legs extended straight back and turned slightly downward, and feet cocked somewhat above the line of the legs and poised within 2–4 cm of the water surface. In this situation N. leporinus emits long series of short CF-FM pulses with an average duration of 5.6 ms (CF 3.1 and FM 2.6) and an average pulse interval of 20 ms, indicating that it is looking for targets within a short range. N. leporinus also makes pointed dips during low search flight by rapidly snapping the feet into the water at the spot where it has localized a jumping fish or disturbance. In the random rake mode, N. leporinus drops to the water surface, lowers its feet and drags its claws through the water in relatively straight lines for up to 10m. The echolocation behavior is similar to that of high search flight. This indicates that in this hunting mode N. leporinus is not pursuing specific targets, and that raking is a random or statistical search for surface fishes. When raking, the bat uses two strategies. In directed random rake it rakes through patches of water where fish jumping activity is high. Our interpretation is that the bat detects this activity by echolocation but prefers not to concentrate on a single jumping fish. In the absence of jumping fish, after flying for several minutes without any dips, N. leporinus starts to make very long rakes in areas where it has hunted successfully before (memory-directed random rake). Hunting bats caught a fish approximately once in every 50–200 passes through the hunting area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldridge HDJN (1988) Flight kinematics and energetics in the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), with reference to the influence of ground effect. J Zool Lond 216:507–517
Altenbach JS (1989) Prey capture by the fishing bats Noctilio leporinus and Myotis vivesi. J Mammal 70:421–424
Benedict JE (1926) Notes on the feeding habits of Noctilio. J Mammal 7:58–59
Bloedel P (1955) Hunting methods of fish-eating bats, particularly Noctilio leporinus. J Mammal 36:390–399
Brooke AP (1994) Diet of the fishing bat, Noctilio leporinus (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae). J Mammal 75:212–218
Brosset AP (1966) La biologic des Chiropteres. Masson, Paris
Brosset A, Debouteville CD (1966) Le regime alimentaire du vespertilion de Daubenton Myotis daubentoni. Mammalia 30:247–381
Brown PE, Brown TW, Grinnell AD (1983) Echolocation, development, and vocal communication in the lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 13:287–298
Busnel RG, Fish JF (eds) (1980) Animal sonar systems. Plenum, New York
Campbell KA, Suthers RA (1988) Predictive tracking of horizontally moving targets by the fishing bat, Noctilio leporinus. In: Nachtigall PE, Moore PWB (eds) Animal sonar processes and performance, Plenum, New York, pp 500–506
Emde G von der, Schnitzler HU (1986) Fluttering target detection in hipposiderid bats. J Comp Physiol A 159:765–772
Emde G von der, Schnitzler HU (1990) Classification of insects by echolocating greater horseshoe bats. J Comp Physiol A 167:423–430
Fenton MB (1990) The foraging behaviour and ecology of animal-eating bats. Can J Zool 86:411–422
Findley JS (1972) Phenetic relationships among bats of the genus Myotis. Syst Zool 21:31–52
Fish FE, Blood BR, Clark BD (1991) Hydrodynamics of the feet of fish-catching bats: influence of the water surface on drag and morphological design. J Exp Zool 258:164–173
Fleming TH, Hooper ET, Wilson DE (1972) Three Central American bat communities: structure, reproductive cycles and movement patterns. Ecology 53:555–569
Goodwin GG (1928) Observations on Noctilio. J Mammal 9:104–113
Griffin DR (1958). Listening in the dark. Yale University Press, New Haven
Griffin DR, Novick A (1955). Acoustic orientation of neotropical bats. J Exp Zool 130:251–299
Gudger EW (1945) Fisherman bats of the Carribean region. J Mammal 26:1–15
Hartley DJ, Campbell KA, Suther RA (1989) The acoustic behavior of the fish-eating bat, Noctilio leporinus, during prey capture. J Acoust Soc Am 86:8–27
Hood CS, Jones JK Jr (1984) Noctilio leporinus. Mammal Species 216:1–7
Hooper ET, Brown JH (1968) Foraging and breeding in two sympatric species of neotropical bats, genus Noctilio. J Mammal 49:310–312
Howell DJ, Burch D (1974) Food habits of some Costa Rican bats. Rev Biol Trop 21:281–294
Kalko EKV (1991) Das Echoortungs- und Jagdverhalten der drei europäischen Zwergfledermausarten Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774), Pipistrellus nathusii (Keyserling et Blasius, 1839) und Pipistrellus kuhli (Kuhl, 1819) im Freiland. PhD thesis, Faculty of Biology, University of Tubingen, Germany
Kalko EKV, Schnitzler HU (1989a) Two wavefront interference patterns in frequency-modulated echolocation signals of bats flying low over water. J Acoust Soc Am 85:691–692
Kalko EKV, Schnitzler HU (1989b) The echolocation and hunting behavior of Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentoni. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 24:225–238
Kober R, Schnitzler HU (1990) Information in sonar echoes of fluttering insects available for echolocating bats. J Acoust Soc Am 87:882–896
Murray PF, Strickler T (1975) Notes on the structure and function of cheek pouches within the Chiroptera. J Mammal 56:637–676
Neuweiler G (1989) Foraging ecology and audition in echolocating bats. Trends Ecol Evol 4:160–166
Neuweiler G (1990) Auditory adaptations for prey capture in echolocating bats. Physiol Rev 70:615–641
Nachtigall PE, Moore PWB (eds) (1988) Animal sonar processes and performance, Plenum, New York
Novick A, Dale BA (1971) Foraging behavior in fishing bats and their insectivorous relatives. J Mammal 52:817–818
Reeder WG, Norris KS (1954) Distribution, habits and type localities of the fish-eating bat Pizonyx vivesi. J Mammal 35:84–87
Robson SK (1984) Myotis adversus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): Australia's fish-eating bat. Aust Mammal 7:51–52
Roeder KD, Treat AE (1961) The detection and evasion of bats by moths. Am Sci 49:135–148
Roverud RC (1988) A time window for distance information processing in the bats, Noctilio albiventris and Rhinolophus rouxi. In: Nachtigall PE, Moore PWB (eds) Animal sonar processes and performance. Plenum, New York, pp 513–517
Schnitzler HU (1987) Echoes of fluttering insects: information for echolocating bats. In: Fenton B, Racey PA, Rayner JMV (eds) Advances in the study of bats. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 226–243
Schnitzler HU, Henson OW Jr (1980) Performance of airborne animal sonar systems. I. Microchiroptera. In: Busnel RG, Fish JF (eds) Animal sonar systems. Plenum, New York, pp 109–181
Schnitzler HU, Kaipf I (1992) Classification of insects by echolocation in the moustache bat, Pteronotus parnelhi. Z Säugetierkde 57 (Supplement):48–49
Schnitzler HU, Menne D, Kober R, Heblich K (1983) The acoustical image of fluttering insects in echolocating bats. In Huber F, Markl H (eds) Neuroethology and behavioral physiology: roots and growing points. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 235–250
Schnitzler HU, Kalko E, Miller L, Surlykke A (1987) The echolocation and hunting behavior of the bat Pipistrellus kuhli. J Comp Physiol 161:267–274
Suthers RA (1965) Acoustic orientation by fish-catching bats. J Exp Zool 158:3119–348
Suthers RA (1967) Comparative echolocation by fishing bats. J Mammal 48:79–87
Suthers RA, Fattu JM (1973) Fishing behavior and acoustic orientation by the bat Noctilio labialis. Anim Behav 21:661–666
Taboada SG (1979) Noctilio leporinus. In: Taboada SG (ed) Las murcielagas de Cuba. Editorial Academia, Cuba
Tian B (1989) Feinanalyse der Ortungslaute der großen Hufeisennase (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) im Flug and bei der Landung. Diplomarbeit. Faculty of Biology, University of Tübingen, Germany
Wenstrup JJ (1984) Auditory sensitivity in the fish-catching bat, Noctilio leporinus. J Comp Physiol A 155:91–101
Wenstrup JJ, Suthers RA (1984) Echolocation of moving targets by the fish-catching bat, Noctilio leporinus. J Comp Physiol A 155:75–89
Withers PC, Timko P (1977) The significance of ground effect to the aerodynamic cost of flight and energetics of the black skimmer (Rhynchops nigra). J Exp Biol 70:13–26
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schnitzler, HU., Kalko, E.K.V., Kaipf, I. et al. Fishing and echolocation behavior of the greater bulldog bat, Noctilio leporinus, in the field. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 35, 327–345 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184422
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184422