Acoustic Ecology of European Bats

Book excerpt: Bats, being nocturnal flying mammals, have developed a special and very efficient means of navigating in the dark: the sonar. Although the acoustic signals they emit are inaudible to the human ear, they can be perceived, recorded and analysed with appropriate equipment and software. This book is a product of the knowledge and skill acquired by its author over more than two decades of constant research on the subject of ultrasound detection. The initial, purely auditory, approach is complemented by the computed-assisted analysis of the ultrasonic signals. With the method described in this book, a bat detector and a computer, the reader will be able to identify about 85% of bat acoustic records in Europe, carry out bat inventories and other more in-depth surveys without disturbing the animals. Thirty-five of the 42 European bat species, including all the most widespread species, are covered.