Sex and age differences in the echolocation calls of the lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros

Abstract

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) The CF portion of calls emitted by hand-held Lesser Horseshoe Bats Rhinolophus hipposideros depends on the age and sex of the bat. Bats older than one year have calls higher in frequency than those produced by first-years, and females emit higher frequency calls than males. Within sexes, frequency is not correlated with forearm length. The implications of intraspecific variation in pulse design for communication and resource partitioning are discussed.