that last bit tells me you're either old or have hearing damage: we have some bats around me and despite never once seeing them it's plainly obvious to me that they exist thanks to their shrill squeaky calls in the twilight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4eqkaHkTAI

[–] norbert@kbin.social 11 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Linking to a guy using an expensive ultrasonic mic to hear bats doesn't really support youe statement that you're hearing bats around you despite never seeing them. Maybe you have hearing damage?

[–] currycourier@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

I mean if they do I'm kinda jealous of their newfound ultrasonic hearing abilities

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

he literally says in the video that their calls range from 20kHz to 200kHz, with 20kHz being the normal top range of human hearing for someone without hearing damage.

[–] norbert@kbin.social 4 points 3 months ago

WHAT?

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

Note: hearing damage includes being over thirty.

[–] Erasmus@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I live in an HOA (obligatory Fuck them)

They put up numerous bat boxes on poles around the common wooded area and a large retention pond right about the time Covid started.

Main reason is it’s free insect killers. We have tons of pests anyway being so close to a wooded area and a lake + the retention pond we have and the added bats help to clear some of them out.

As for the noise, no you really don’t hear them here. All the frogs are the loudest things heard of a night.

[–] Dashi@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Sitting out on my deck listening to the frogs/nature at night. I still hear the bats when they are within 20ft. It isn't loud but you hear them. They are a pleasant addition to the symphony that goes on at night.

Now... fuck pheasants at night they are loud and when you don't know what the sound is its creepy

[–] saigot@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 months ago

Some species of bats spend more time in the upper ranges that no human can hear than others.

The spotted bat for instance, is found on west coast if North America and mostly calls at 11khz well within even older human hearing while other bats operate entirely outside human hearing.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Interesting. Probably the species around where I live don't make much noise, nobody else hears them here

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 months ago

maybe swedish ones are just constantly death metal growling