Stealth Maneuver Allows Nectar Bats to Target Insect Prey

Dec. 12, 2013 — A nectar-feeding bat that was thought to eat insects in passing has been discovered to target its moving prey with stealth precision, according to new research by a scientist at Queen Mary University of London.

The researchers uncovered for the first time that the Pallas long-tongued bat use echolocation -- a complex physical trait that involves the production, reception and auditory processing of ultrasonic pulses for detecting unseen obstacles or tracking down prey. Most bats produce a rapid sequence of echolocation pulses to attack their prey and many insects have developed 'bat-detecting ears' in return to avoid being caught.

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Seahorses stalk their prey by stealth

By James Morgan, Science reporter, BBC News

Seahorses may appear slow and awkward but they are ferocious and ingenious predators, according to a new study.

The beautiful creatures are famously bad swimmers, but they have a secret weapon to sneak up on their prey.

Their peculiar snouts are shaped to create very few ripples in the water, effectively cloaking them as they creep up and pounce on tiny crustaceans.

To their victims, seahorses are more like sea monsters, say scientists from the University of Texas at Austin.

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