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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Steven Morris

Bats ‘leapfrog’ back to roost to stay safe from predators, study finds

A greater horseshoe bat.
A team from Cardiff University and the University of Sussex developed a mathematical model using ‘trajectory data’ to track the flight of the greater horseshoe bat. Photograph: Marko Konig/imagebroker/Shutterstock

Bats fly back to their roosts after a night of hunting in a “leapfrogging” pattern that allows them to maximise their time out and stay safe from predators, researchers have found.

A team from Cardiff University and the University of Sussex developed a mathematical model using “trajectory data” that tracked the flight of greater horseshoe bats in Devon to pinpoint how the creatures engage with the nocturnal environment.

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