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[Research News] How Bats Suppress Background Noise for Prey Detection

Researchers report that horseshoe bats suppress background clutter through ultrasonic frequency control, revealing a new sensory strategy

Animals such as bats rely on sound for navigation and locating prey. However, they must distinguish between important signals and surrounding noise. A research group from Doshisha University, including Dr. Soshi Yoshida, now report that greater Japanese horseshoe bats actively create a “silent spectral window” through ultrasonic frequency control, which allows them to clearly detect echoes from their prey against the background clutter. This strategy not only stabilizes echoes but also suppresses environmental noise, inspiring future noise cancellation technologies.

Reference

Soshi Yoshida, Haruhito Mastumoto, Kohta I. Kobayasi, Shizuko Hiryu, Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus nippon) suppress clutter noise through echolocation frequency control to detect prey, Communications Biology, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10217-9

For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
https://research.doshisha.ac.jp/news/news-detail-100/

Title: How Bats Respond to Artificial Echo Sounds
Caption: The figure shows A. Experimental system for virtual echo indication and B. Presentation of Doppler-shifted virtual echoes and corresponding bat responses
Credit: Soshi Yoshida from Doshisha University
Image source link: Not applicable
License type: Original content
Usage restrictions: Cannot be used without permission