Bats sabotage rivals' senses with sound in food race

Bats were "jammed" the moment they were about to hone in on their insect prey, making them miss their target. Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Listen to the bat's jamming sound The rival that emitted the call was then able to capture and eat the insect for itself. This is the first time scientists have witnessed this behaviour in one species - the Mexican free-tailed bat - a team reports in Science journal. When bats swoop in darkness to catch prey, they emit high-pitched sound waves - a process called echolocation - which speeds up as they get closer to their target. This well-known skill is vital for them to hunt for food and to navigate their environment. This new research shows that others can effectively push them off their tracks mid-hunt. Lead author of the work, Aaron Corcoran from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, was initially studying moths when he heard these bat calls. "One bat was trying to capture an insect using its echolocation. The second bat was making another sound that looked to me like it might be trying to jam or disrupt the echolocation of the other bat," said Dr Corcoran. "Most of the time when another bat was making this jamming call, the bat trying to capture the moth would miss", he added.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29931995