30/10/2023
Write a caption... Gang of Four
Pictured here is a gang of four Natal Long-fingered bats (Miniopterus natalensis) leaving a limestone cave in Limpopo, South Africa. The bats are seen weaving around the few trees that adorn the sinkhole entrance of the cave, then off to spend their evening feeding on insects and the occasional fish. It is likely these four bats are all females, as the female to male ratio in the cave is 28 to 1. The cave itself is home to roughly half a million bats and experiencing the bats’ exit flight at dusk is nothing short of amazing. Imagine, half a million bats flying past you in a mere 45 minutes!
This gang of four, flying so close together, makes me wonder if they are lifelong friends. And perhaps, the fifth bat to the right in the distance is another member of the gang trying to catch up.
Upon further inspection, you will notice that each bat has their mouth open; they are echolocating. But how is it they can hear their own echo if they are all yelling at the same time?
It must be that they each pick their own frequency range, or perhaps dialect, so that they are not cancelling each other out.
This image was captured under the guidance of conservation biologist and photographer Ernest Seamark of African Bats NPC, who is a steward of the cave, and under the tutelage of photographers Brock and Sherri Fenton. The image was taken in January 2023 in Limpopo, South Africa.
