News Animals

Pregnancy may hamper bats’ ability to ‘see’ in the dark

Echolocation rates decline in pregnant Kuhl’s pipistrelles, a new study finds

A photo of a bat flying over top a body of water and dipping its mouth in.

Kuhl’s pipistrelles (one seen here) make fewer calls while pregnant, which may impact their ability to sense their surroundings.

Jens Rydell

By Freda Kreier

Pregnancy can do weird things to the body. For some bats, it can hamper their ability to “see” the world around them.

Kuhl’s pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus kuhlii) echolocate less frequently while pregnant, researchers report March 28 in BMC Biology. The change may make it harder for the tiny bats to detect prey and potential obstacles in the environment.