Learning from others allows individuals to adapt rapidly to environmental change. Although conspecifics tend to be reliable models, heterospecifics with similar resource requirements may be suitable surrogates when conspecifics are few or unfamiliar with recent changes in resource availability. We tested whetherTrachops cirrhosus, a gleaning bat that localizes prey using their mating calls, can learn about novel prey from conspecifics and the sympatric batLophostoma silvicolum.Specifically, we compared the rate for naïveT. cirrhosusto learn an unfamiliar tone from either a trained conspecific or heterospecific alone through trial and error or through social facilitation.T. cirrhosuslearned this novel cue fromL. silvicolumas quickly as from conspecifics. This is the first demonstration of social learning of a novel acoustic cue in bats and suggests that heterospecific learning may occur in nature. We propose that auditory-based social learning may help bats learn about unfamiliar prey and facilitate their adaptive radiation.
