Between-species jamming avoidance in Pipistrelles?

ABSTRACT

Past studies have reported that bats modify the spectral-temporal features of their vocalizations to avoid interference from the vocalizations of conspecifics (jamming avoidance). We tested for within, and between-species jamming avoidance in two sympatrically occurring species of vespertilionid bats, Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Pipistrellus nathusii. In both species the peak frequencies of the narrowband frequency component from samples of bats flying with conspecifics varied more than those from samples of bats flying alone, indicating intraspecific jamming avoidance. If individuals of the two species were recorded together, we found no reaction of P. nathusii. P. pipistrellus, however, used significantly higher frequencies than when recorded alone. As the narrowband frequency of this species normally overlaps with the frequency modulated (FM) part of P. nathusii calls, this can be interpreted as an interspecific jamming avoidance response.