• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.202-208
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• 2010

This study reports developmental changes in the vocal signals produced by infant or young Pipistrellus abramus. In contrast to adult bats, infant bats of the P. abramus emitted calls characterized by multi harmonics and variable signal patterns. Infants at two day of age emitted a irregular signal and showed gentle FM signals between 10 and 20 days. After about 40 days of age, the young bats emitted similar signals to the echolocation calls of adults. As the infant bats growing up, vocal signals trend showen a decrease in pulse duration(p<0.001), pulse interval(p<0.001) and number of harmonic(p<0.001). And the peak frequency(p<0.001), starting frequency(p<0.001) and ending frequency(p<0.001) in infant bats increased with the age. The largest change in pulse interval occurred in 5 days. And the pulse duration, peak frequency, starting frequency and ending frequency of the bat's sounds changed most dramatically in 25 days of age.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.553-563
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• 2009

This study was conducted to analyze the changes in the echolocation of Pipistrellus abramus according to environmental characteristics. The survey was conducted in the day-roosting site of P. abramus located in Gyeongju City (North Gyeongsang Province) from April to August, 2009. The environmental characteristics during the research were classified in six categories: the emergence time after sunset moving time from day roost to feeding areas; rice fields; forest edges; open spaces; and residential areas. Analysis results showed that there are differences in environmental characteristics and also differences between the moving time to the habitat and the moving time to capture preys. At the emergence time from day roost, Pipistrellus abramus used a FM signal with a short pulse-duration. In open spaces, however, they used a CF signal with a long pulse-duration. In different environmental situations, they used both FM and CF signals, although the types of pulse which they used were different. Except pulse-duration, there were significant differences in pulse-interval, peak-frequency, starting-frequency and ending-frequency between the movement among habitats and the movement to capture preys. Except the emergence time from day-roost, they showed a narrow band FM signal and a long pulse-duration that are suitable to search for insects by sensing echoes of insects when they moved among their habitats. When they were out to capture their preys, they showed a broad band FM signal and a short pulse-duration which enabled them to widely search and accurately locate their preys.