In what will certainly be a milestone study, elevating research on wildlife to new heights, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz have discovered the intrinsic energy dynamics of bats in flight.
It is the first time scientists have succeeded in measuring heartbeats in male common noctule bats during their journeys at night and have come across seasonal shifts in energy consumption that could hold immense implications for the understanding of these mysterious creatures.
The Pulse of the Night: How Scientists Are Tracking Bats' Heartbeats (Photo : MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)
A study led by Lara Keicher strapped tiny heart rate transmitters weighing less than a gram onto the bats. These transmitted the bats' heartbeats, which were then recorded using a radio receiver.
Well, the real challenge was keeping up with the bats as they zoomed around at high speed during their nocturnal hunts.
In the study, researchers managed to pursue the bats while airborne in a light aircraft and took recordings of the heart rate for more than an hour at a time in flight.It gave a window into the bats' daily energy expenditure and how they manage it.
The findings show that male noctule bats use up to 42 percent more energy in summer compared to spring. The consumption ranges in order with the season.
The seasonal variation is vital for survival and overcoming climates and food availability oscillations.
The findings have implications that reach beyond the noctule bats as well. The research sheds light on what the energy demands of bats are and how they meet them over the years, thereby helping scientists make predictions about how these animals are going to perform under climate change.
This information is critical because bats are significant in ecosystems as pollinators and controllers of pests; therefore, it will be very important for conservation efforts.
The work, part of her Ph.D. thesis Keicher, pushes knowledge about the physiology of bats still ahead but also points to some lengths scientists will go for the understanding of nature.
As the researchers continue to analyze the data, they hope that more of the questions about the bats' dietary needs and whether they can find enough food during the year to support energetic flights will be answered.
This work on the heart rate of bats during flight is an astonishing feat that marries the most modern technologies with that kind of daring fieldwork, opening up entirely new prospects for the study of wildlife and delivering important insights to help ensure the survival of these wonderful creatures in an increasingly changing world.
How can we protect bat populations?
Several approaches are necessary for the sake of protecting bat populations. Any public education and awareness campaigns can go a long way in changing perceptions and running down myths about bats in fostering a greater appreciation of their importance to the ecology.
Another crucial requirement for bats is the setting aside of natural habitats, mainly river valleys and urban green space. The quest for learning from these winged creatures elicits the need for scientific research and monitoring of bat populations.
But there is a place for urban development as well: respecting bats' space and reducing light pollution, ensuring small nature-friendly spaces within the city, and addressing diseases like white-nose syndrome with systemic management and mitigation efforts for the disease dynamics in bat populations.
Finally, donating or volunteering time to organizations working to conserve bats will work toward carrying out successful strategies in protecting these critical species. All of these actions can help ensure the health and longevity of bat populations worldwide.