Bats dynamically change echolocation parameters in response to acoustic playback

Animals extract behaviorally relevant signals from “noisy” environments. To investigate signal extraction, echolocating provides a rich system testbed. For orientation, bats broadcast calls and assign each echo to the corresponding call. When orienting in acoustically enriched environments or when approaching targets, bats change their spectro-temporal call design. Thus, to assess call adjustments that are exclusively meant to facilitate signal extraction in “noisy” environments, it is necessary to control for distance-dependent call changes. By swinging bats in a pendulum, we tested the influence of acoustic playback on the echolocation behavior of Carollia perspicillata. This paradigm evokes reproducible orientation behavior and allows a precise definition of the influence of the acoustic context. Our results show that bats dynamically switch between different adaptations to cope with sound-based navigation in acoustically contaminated environments. These dynamics of echolocation behavior may explain the large variety of adaptations that have been reported in the bat literature. Summary statement The frugivorous bat Carollia perspicillata dynamically switch between different adaptations when echolocating in acoustically contaminated environments.