Networking for Food: Bats Communicate and Work Together for More Efficient Foraging
Published:10 Aug.2022 Source:Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)
Social hunting strategies are already well documented in many animal species when prey is distributed in an unpredictable way across the landscape.
Researchers have now demonstrated for the first time that animals -- in this case the common noctule bat -- join together and form a mobile sensory network in order to increase their chances of finding their prey. The analyses show that predators can adjust to variable environmental conditions through flexible foraging strategies by networking with conspecifics.