How do some animals use ultrasonic sounds for communication and navigation?

Some animals, such as bats and dolphins, use ultrasonic sounds for communication and navigation. Ultrasonic sounds are sounds that are too high-pitched for humans to hear, typically above 20,000 Hz. Bats use echolocation, a process of emitting high-frequency sounds and listening to the echoes to navigate and locate prey. They emit a series of calls and listen to the echoes that bounce back to determine the location, distance, and size of objects around them. Dolphins use a similar process to echolocate and communicate with each other.

Some rodents, such as rats, also use ultrasonic vocalizations for communication. They produce sounds that are too high-pitched for human ears to detect, but which they use to communicate with each other. These vocalizations are used to express emotions, such as fear, aggression, and mating calls.

Other animals, such as some species of birds, use ultrasonic sounds to communicate and locate prey. For example, some species of owls use ultrasonic sounds to locate and capture small prey, such as mice, in complete darkness.