What if we could understand what animals are really saying? At UW, scientists are breaking barriers in animal communication, uncovering the hidden languages of bats, rats and mice.
Dr. Ellen Covey, a Neural Systems and Behavior professor at UW is a leading neuroethologist specializing in bat echolocation.
When a bat sends an outgoing call, such as a tongue click, it uses the returning echo to gather detailed information about its surroundings, she explained. Echolocation allows the bat to determine the location, movement and characteristics of objects in its environment. According to Covey, the calls are emitted in such a way that directs the sound in a narrow beam, ensuring it is only received by the bat that sent it.
