Pipistrelle bat ear. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the ear of a pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). The tragus, the fold tha

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Pipistrelle bat ear. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the ear of a pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). The tragus, the fold that protrudes into the centre of the ear, has been found to be important in echolocation. In echolocation, the bat emits a series of high- pitched sounds, whose echoes are detected by the ears. The echoes are used to build up a three- dimensional map of its surroundings, which is used for navigation and detecting prey.

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Size: 3201px × 2788px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, auditory, bat, biological, biology, chiropteran, coloured, ear, echolocation, false-coloured, fauna, head, hearing, hunting, insectivorous, listening, mammal, nature, pipistrelle, pipistrellus, sem, sense, sonar, tragus, wildlife, zoological, zoology