Echolocation

echolocation

1. Echolocation

Echolocation, also called bio sonar, is a biological sonar used by several animal species. Echolocating
animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various
objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects.

Animals showing echolocation
Humans and most other animals see using light waves. Light reflects off the objects around you and
reaches your eye, which provides information about the world around you. Sound waves can be used in
exactly the same way to "see." Some animals use echo’s -- sound waves reflected off objects in their path
to navigate and find food at night or in dark locations such as caves. This is known as echolocation.
1. Bats
2. Whales and Dolphins
3. Oilbirds and Swiftlets
4. Shrews
5. Humans
Uses of echolocation
Active echolocation can provide sensory benefits to people who are totally blind
1. Increased ability to move in unfamiliar places
2. Avoiding obstacles at head height
3. Echolocation is used for navigation, foraging, and hunting in various environments
Advantages of Echolocation
Detect size, shape, distance for hunting and orientation. Ability to roost away from vision-orienting
predators. Opens up an enormous feeding niche. Insects flying at night are nearly invisible to vision-
oriented predators. Most prey cannot hear you
Disadvantages of Echolocation
Calling all the time announces your presence. (But a benefit to biologists.) Radar-detector syndrome:
Information leakage - some insects have co-evolved ways to detect bat calls.
How do scientist use echolocation?
When these sound waves bump into an object, they bounce off it. To use echolocation, animals first make
a sound. Then, they listen for the echoes from the sound waves bouncing off objects in their surroundings.
The animal's brain can make sense of the sounds and echoes to navigate or find prey.
Echolocation Summary
When these sound waves bump into an object, they bounce off it. To use echolocation, animals first make
a sound. Then, they listen for the echoes from the sound waves bouncing off objects in their surroundings.
The animal's brain can make sense of the sounds and echoes to navigate or find prey.