Many animal species bounce back sound from objects to hunt and navigate their surroundings, from whales to bats and even humans.

Echolocation is nature's own GPS that occurs when animals emit a sound wave that bounces objects, returns to its sender, and echoes information about an object's size and distance.

Nature's GPS

According to National Geographic, thousands of species echolocate, including toothed whales, small mammals, and most bats. Many burrowing, nocturnal, and ocean-dwelling animals rely on echolocation to locate food in their environment with little to no light.

Different species have different methods of echolocation. Some vibrate their throats, while some flap their wings.

Kate Allen, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological and Brain Studies at John Hopkins University, says that some animals such as swiftlets and nocturnal oilbirds that hunt in dark cave environments produce short clicks with their syrinx---a vocal organ for birds.

Some people have also been able to echolocate by clicking their tongues, a behavior that only a few other animal species share, including share-like animals from Madagascar and the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse.

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Different Forms Echolocations 

Bats are the best example of animals that echolocate. They use their built-in sonar to pursue fast-flying prey, especially at night.

Daubenton's bat echolocates by contracting their larynx muscles to make sounds above the human hearing range. 

Despite what many believe, bat calls vary depending on the species; this allows them to distinguish their calls from other bats in the area. Their calls are also specific to the environment and prey type. The European bat 'whispers' in the presence of moths to avoid being detected.

A few South Asian fruit bats have just been discovered to make clicks by flapping their wings.

Ocean Soundwaves

In the ocean, echolocation is a logical strategy since sound travels five times faster than air.

Dolphins and toothed whales like belugas echolocate via the dorsal bursae that sit on top of their head close to the blowhole. 

The fat deposits in their dorsal bursae, called the melon, decrease their body's resistance to soundwaves making sound clearer, says Wu-Jung Lee, a senior oceanographer at the University of Washington.

Another fat deposits in a whale's lower jaw clarify the echo that returns from their prey like squids and fish.

Most humans that develop echolocation are either blind or visually impaired and use their skills for daily activities. Some use clicks either with their tongues or other objects like their cane, then navigate via the resulting echo.

Brains cans on humans that use echolocation show that a part of the brain that processes visual is employed during the process. 

Kate Allen explains, "Brains don't like undeveloped real estate. It's too metabolically expensive to maintain." which is why humans who don't need echolocation aren't able to develop the skill.

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