Bioacoustics and the study of animal calls – encompasses everything from the howl of a wolf to the trumpeting reverberations made by elephants. One of the most fascinating things about this sphere of biology is that scientists are only beginning to understand the complicated language of animals which until recently remained undetectable and mysterious thanks to our relatively meagre sense of hearing.

Bats are one such example, a group famous for their remarkable sense of echolocation – which for the most part is based on acoustic signals far outside the frequency range that we as humans can detect. What is amazing is that with current technological advancements, it is now possible for field biologists to relatively easily measure and records these calls, translating a whole frequency of acoustic signals to a measurable staccato which can then be analysed in a laboratory, and even be made audible to our own ears. Much like the unique calls of different species of birds, what scientists have come to to understand is that each species of bat emits a unique series of ‘notes’ (which make up the ‘call’) – a fact that can then be exploited by field biologists who need to survey and identify bat species in their studies.

As part of a wildlife survey in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, our job is to find and identify all the animal species in the area – bats included. Until recently, bats could only be identified by the labour intensive process of mist-netting, whereby bats are actually captured and identified (by their unique genital structure, but that’s another story!). Using the ANABAT recorders means that this practice can be avoided, and species can be identified based on their unique call structure. The ANABAT recorders are left overnight in areas where bats are thought to be active (Caves, Rocky outcrops, Rivers, Water bodies etc.) and the recordings are analysed by experts back in Perth.

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