Echolocation of bats (Chiroptera Blumenbach, 1779) as an element of their ecological plasticity

Aim . The aim of this work was to briefly summarize the current understanding of the phenomenon of echolocation in the order of bats (Chiroptera Blumenbach, 1779). Discussion . The paper discusses: the place of bats among other taxonomic groups of animals that have the ability of echolocation; the history of the discovery of "ear vision" in bats by L. Spallanzani in the 18th century; the first scientifically based assumptions regarding the use of ultrasound by bats and the discovery of this phenomenon in the middle of the last century; methods for emitting and receiving ultrasound by various taxonomic groups of bats; physical patterns underlying the propagation of ultrasonic waves; characteristics of the returned echo and algorithms for echolocation in bats; echolocation interactions between insectivorous bats and nocturnal moths and possibilities for ultrasonic monitoring of bat populations. Conclusion . The inclusion of ultrasound monitoring of bat populations in integrated ecological and virological studies could form a new point of growth in systems to ensure biological security at both national and global levels.