Often when a dog is trying to determine the exact parentage of a noise , they will tilt their head in an absolutely adorable direction . This physical apparent motion can help to enhance signals from other senses , such as hearing and deal . Yet it is not only dogs who perform such " read/write head shake " , as human and bozo are recognise to do it too . Now , it change state out that bat alsodo something similarwhen honing in on their prey .

In a fairly bizarre experimentation , researchers managed to discipline three self-aggrandising brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ) to breathe   on a platform while track prey , which take the form of mealworms attach via sportfishing argument to a miniature bug zipline . As if that was n’t weird enough , they then ( humanely ) glued bantam reflectors to the headspring and ears of the bats like some low-toned - budget 70s sci - fi show , let the researchers to track the bat ' principal movements while they film   them " hunting " the dirt ball that   zip by .

By then pairing the retard - down footage with recordings of the bats as they used their asdic to give chase the high - fly worms , the scientistswere able to determinehow the mammals use their head prick and ear waggles to perfect in on their prey . As the mealworm approached , the squash racquet altered the relative frequency of their sonar pulsation as well as the length of their   vocalizations . The sketch , publish inPLOS Biology , institute that the bats also tilted their heads to interchange the comparative ALT of their ears and to vary   the length between the tips of their ear .

The bats do this , they discovered , at the same prison term as when the louse they are hunting move suddenly or change direction . When copulate with the bats '   sonar , the researcher suspect that these   capitulum waggles   help them to keep data track of precisely where their prey is , set aside them to accurately catch their prey before they get away . " By study these apparent motion , "   explains co - author Cynthia F. Mossthe in astatement , " we as humans can get brainstorm into how movement helps animals sense their environment . "

It ’s possible that by   infer how these animals coordinate their movements and weed , it could help   engineers   create good robotic sensory systems .