The Hipster Ninja Bats That Sneak Up on Their Prey
The animals have evolved stealthy echolocation that moths can't hear.
The sound of death can take many forms: the retort of a gun, the screech of tires, the hack of a cough. But for many moths, death sounds like a series of high-pitched squeaks.
Moths are hunted by bats, which track them down by releasing high-frequency calls and analyzing the rebounding echoes. This skill, known as echolocation, allows them to view their world—and their prey—even in total darkness. Bats evolved the ability to echolocate tens of millions of years ago, and in the intervening time, moths have developed their own countermeasures. Some evolved ears, which allow them to, releasing their own ultrasonic clicks to jam the radar of their predators, or to feign the echoes of distant objects.
