Territorial counter-singing in male sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx bilineata): low-frequency songs trigger a stronger response

Abstract

In many animal species, individuals compete for resources but avoid escalated conflicts by threat displays, i.e. a mutual signalling behaviour that enables the opponents to predict the outcome of the conflict without the necessity of actual fighting. For example, territory holders may use acoustic signals to communicate not only their own identity and the borders of their territory but also their competitive quality, fighting ability and motivation. Here, we show that male sac-winged bats, Saccopteryx bilineata, adjust their vocal territorial displays according to the fundamental frequency of territorial songs of their opponents. In playback experiments with territorial males, low-frequency stimuli elicited a higher territorial song rate and length than high-frequency stimuli. Male S. bilineata that sing more often and with lower fundamental frequencies have been shown to sire more offspring than their competitors. Fundamental frequency of territorial songs, hence, may reveal male quality and, consequently, the resulting threat posed to competing males. We argue that this is reflected in the increased response of competitors to low-frequency territorial songs shown here. Such competitive signalling behaviour has been shown in a few mammal species like red deer and baboons but, thus far, not in bats.