Alarming impression is first known case of a mammal copying an insect to deter hostile species.
To investigate whether other animals might make the same connection, Russo and his colleagues compared the sound structure of buzzing by the European hornet to that of the bat’s distress call. At most frequencies, the two sounds were not dramatically similar, but they were when the bat’s call was stripped down to include only frequencies that owls — one of the animal’s main predators — are able to hear.
Many of the owls also moved away from the speakers when they heard the bats’ distress call. This supports the idea that the bats’ buzzing could confuse owls into thinking that a hornet is nearby, Russo says.
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