Plants Draw Bats By Sound
Researchers have discovered that some flowering plants draw bats to themselves by harnessing sound which creates an echo and helps the nocturnal fliers get to the plants. The research was carried out by Ralph Simon who is a biologist at the University of Ulm in Germany.
The study found that some flowering plants draw bats for the purpose of pollination by harnessing sound. While most plants use colors and designs to attract birds and insects to the nectar during daytime, the bats are nocturnal and navigate using sound echoes from their high pitched cries.
While some plants have some peculiar echo signature which draws the bats certain plants present their flowers on extended stems or make their petals strongly reflective. The test was made on the Marcgravia evenia which had a few deep bowled leaves compared to other leaves and the curved surface of which could reflect the sound hitting it and thus becoming visible to the bats.
The bats took half the time to find the nectar when the plants had the deep bowled leaves to reflect their cries which are useful for them as their nectar needs are only satisfied by a number of plants.