Navigation: bat orientation using Earth's magnetic field

Bats famously orientate at night by echolocation, but this works over only a short range, and little is known about how they navigate over longer distances. Here we show that the homing behaviour of Eptesicus fuscus, known as the big brown bat, can be altered by artificially shifting the Earth'...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature 2006-12, Vol.444 (7120), p.702-702
Main Authors: Holland, Richard A, Thorup, Kasper, Vonhof, Maarten J, Cochran, William W, Wikelski, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animals
Bats
Biology
Chiroptera - physiology
Darkness
Earth
Earth (Planet)
Eptesicus fuscus
Homing Behavior - physiology
Magnetic fields
Magnetics
Navigation
Orientation - physiology
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Summary:Bats famously orientate at night by echolocation, but this works over only a short range, and little is known about how they navigate over longer distances. Here we show that the homing behaviour of Eptesicus fuscus, known as the big brown bat, can be altered by artificially shifting the Earth's magnetic field, indicating that these bats rely on a magnetic compass to return to their home roost. This finding adds to the impressive array of sensory abilities possessed by this animal for navigation in the dark.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
1476-4679
DOI:10.1038/444702a