Detecting Bats with Wildlife Acoustics
Bats play a significant role at night. While most people are asleep, these nocturnal animals become active. Their hunting and navigation often remain hidden from the human eye, and their high frequencies are inaudible to us. However, bats play a crucial role in our ecosystem and biodiversity. Monitoring these creatures is important from ecological, societal, and scientific perspectives. So, what are the best devices for tracking these nighttime animals? In this blog, we discuss five devices from Wildlife Acoustics that enable you to follow these bats.
As mentioned, recording bats, also known as bat monitoring, is important for several reasons. Not only are bats a protected species, but monitoring them can provide insights into environmental changes, climate change, and disease control for humans and animals. There are plenty of reasons to track bats! Bat recording devices are indispensable tools in this regard. The devices must be capable of accurately capturing high frequencies and should be reliable. In this blog, we categorize two types of devices: standalone detectors and ultrasonic microphones.
Standalone Detectors
In this category, we cover standalone detectors. On Veldshop.nl, three models from Wildlife Acoustics can be found: the Song Meter SM4Bat FS, the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion, and the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA. What are the differences between these three detectors, and what price ranges do they fall into?
Song Meter SM4BAT FS
The SM4BAT FS is a full-spectrum ultrasonic bio-acoustic bat recorder. This recorder is compact, lightweight, and single-channel. The SM4BAT FS is in the highest price range, costing €1525.69. This device can be ordered with or without a microphone (SMM-U2). This ultrasonic recorder is specifically designed to make high-quality bat recordings. It features a weather-resistant design, long battery life, and advanced triggering, meaning it only records when bats are present.
SM4BAT FS
Due to its weather-resistant design, it is suitable for any environment and can operate for up to 48 nights to provide quality recordings. Of course, this SM4BAT FS has many more features and specifications. Curious about all these features? Feel free to check the SM4BAT FS on our website.
Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA
The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA is a next-generation bat detector, evident in its lightweight and small size. Wildlife Acoustics has designed a compact standalone bat detector that can be compared to its larger counterpart, the SM4BAT FS. Aside from its weight and size, this device boasts an impressive usage time and a renewed housing, allowing it to record for an impressive 50 nights at 10 hours each.
The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA is also the more affordable option, priced at €829.84. For this price, you get an excellent standalone bat detector. This device offers the option to connect an acoustic microphone, enabling you to record not only bats but also other animals like birds and frogs. Finally, it can be easily operated via a smartphone or tablet with a Bluetooth connection. By downloading the free 'Song Meter Mini Configurator' app, available on both Google Play and the App Store, you can receive updates on the device of your choice. Interested in the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA? Check here for all the information about this bat detector.
Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion
Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion
This variant of the Song Meter is nearly identical to the previously discussed Song Meter Mini Bat 2 AA. What are the differences between these two bat detectors? The difference lies in battery usage and battery life. The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion uses lithium batteries. It can accommodate six Li-ion batteries, allowing the device to be used for an impressive 1040 hours, compared to the 420 hours runtime of the 2 AA. This difference in battery usage and life is reflected in the price, which is €940.78 for the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion.
Aside from the battery, both Song Meters are comparable. With these recorders, you no longer need to purchase two separate detectors if you want to record in full spectrum or zero crossing. Both the Li-ion and the AA can do both. The Li-ion can also be mostly controlled via a Bluetooth connection with your device of choice by downloading the app. Want to see more about the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 Li-ion? Read more here.
Ultrasonic Microphones
After discussing the standalone detectors, we now move on to ultrasonic microphones. This is the second and final category discussed in this blog. At Veldshop.nl, we mainly think of two devices in the ultrasonic microphone category: the Echo Meter Touch 2 and the Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro. Below, we will outline the differences and features of both devices.
Echo Meter Touch 2
The Echo Meter Touch 2 is a bat detector that you can plug into your device. This turns your phone or tablet into an interactive bat detector. It is important that your device has a USB-C port for iOS® and Android™. By plugging the Echo Meter into your device, you can discover, identify, and study all the bats in your vicinity. Whether you're a professional or a hobbyist, the Echo Meter Touch 2 allows you to listen, record, and share immediately.
By discovering and identifying bats, you automatically receive species ID functions that professionals also access. This makes it a very interesting and, moreover, affordable device. The Echo Meter Touch 2 is priced at €205.56. By connecting the device to your device and downloading the free app, you can detect bats in no time. It is also possible to connect the Touch 2 to a phone with a USB-micro port, although a USB-C to Micro-USB adapter is required. The Touch 2 does not work with a Lightning port. Interested in the Echo Meter Touch 2 or want to learn more about the device? Feel free to check here for more information.
Echo Meter Touch 2 Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro
Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro
The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro resembles the Echo Meter Touch 2. However, this Pro version is designed for professionals who require high-quality recordings. This device features a state-of-the-art ultrasonic microphone capable of capturing very high frequencies of up to 256 and 384 kHz. The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro is available for €400.37.
By downloading the app for the Pro version, special options are available. You can choose adjustable gain and advanced trigger settings. Additionally, you receive the latest Kaleidoscope Pro auto-ID classifications for bat species from North America, Europe, the Neotropics, and South Africa. Furthermore, you can choose the sample frequency for recording, as this device is specifically designed for professional biologists and ecologists. There are even more options, all detailed on the product page for the Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro. The same connection requirements apply as with the Echo Meter Touch 2, and this Pro version also does not work with a Lightning port.
These ultrasonic recorders are designed to help you detect more bats, thanks to their ease of use and low-noise microphones.
About Wildlife Acoustics
Wildlife Acoustics is an American company specializing in detecting, analysing, and discovering animals, specifically bats. The company creates and develops devices for monitoring wildlife, specifically designed to assist scientists in gaining more insights and conducting research worldwide. Their goal is to create a positive impact on the environment.
Wildlife Acoustics is the supplier of professional acoustic monitoring systems for wildlife, and these products are also available at Veldshop.nl. You can view all the products from Wildlife Acoustics available for sale on this page.
