The Feeding Efficiency of Insectivorous Bats

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Griffin (1953) has recently suggested that insectivorous bats use their high frequency sounds not only for avoiding stationary obstacles but also for locating and capturing flying insects. Evaluation of this hypothesis requires accurate information about the sizes and sound reflecting properties of bats' insect prey, and this paper will assemble the pertinent data that I have been able to obtain both from previous papers and from the analysis of many digestive tracts of bats collected for this purpose. In addition to the types of insects captured the rate at which they are taken was measured whenever possible in order to judge whether a process of selective pursuit and capture is involved, or whether a random process akin to “filter feeding” could account for the efficiency actually attained. It would also be desirable to know the distances at which flying insects are detected; but to...

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: