“Beasts of science” is like a collection of stories. Beautiful stories that tell the living in all its freshness. But also in all its complexity. A parenthesis to marvel at the treasures of the world. For this new episode, let’s take a look at an animal with a sulphurous reputation: the bat.
A bat that answers the phone. Have you seen this before? Certainly not. But before knowing if researchers have seen it, let’s take a few seconds to get to know the beast. In many cultures, it is associated with misfortune and death. To the myth of the vampires. Yet the bat species that suck blood are extremely rare. Even more those who appreciate human blood. They would not be more than three. All living in South America. And to protect yourself, a simple mosquito net would suffice!
On the other hand, it is true that bats have now become veritable reservoirs of viruses. Many of which can pose a danger to us. The information unfortunately made the headlines on the occasion of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because several coronavirus have already been identified in bats. Never, however, on species living in France.
But the bat is not just that. The bat is also an amazing little mammal. The only one gifted with active flight, to begin with. Thanks to a funny wing. A kind of hand with elongated fingers connected by a thin membrane of skin. A kind of giant hand which she wraps herself at rest to isolate herself from the external environment.
The bat is also an animal endowed with a rather amazing memory. And it is at this point that the history of the telephone returns. But to understand how the researchers discovered it, you must first know that the bat Trachops cirrhosus hunting not by sight, but by ear. She is able to tell the difference between the cry of a frog or an insect venomous or not.
A good memory is a sign of intelligence?
What the researchers wanted to know was whether the bats Trachops cirrhosus are also able to distinguish totally artificial noises. Of the phone ringtones, as it happens. For this, they worked with around fifty wild specimens. They gradually replaced the mating call of one of these little creatures’ favorite frogs with a very classic cell phone ringtone. They also played three other ringtones. But that they did not associate, this time, with a food reward.
After learning was completed, the bats were released. Not without having been chipped, so that researchers can find them later. And later is after four years – remembering that some bats can live for over 30 years. The researchers then observed that when they heard the famous ringtone that had delighted them so much, they rushed towards it. Behavior they did not adopt with an unknown ringtone. But all the same regularly also with the three witness bells that they had already heard four years earlier.
The researchers were surprised. Because having a long-term memory can be useful to animals. This prevents them from repeating learnings and mistakes. It also allows them to take advantage of even the rarest prey when it comes along. But having a long term memory is also expensive. Metabolically speaking. This mobilizes a certain energy. And that can slow down the decision-making process. So finally, isn’t the bat so stupid? Or isn’t four years a bit long to cling to the memory of a ringing phone she may never hear again? At what point will this type of skill really help the animals and at what point could it prove to be a handicap? This is what the researchers hope to be able to determine in the future.
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