vampire bat
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What is a vampire bat?
The vampire bat is any of three bat species native to the New World tropics and subtropics that feed exclusively on blood. The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is most common in agricultural areas and feeds on livestock, while the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) and the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi) are restricted to intact forests, where they feed on birds, reptiles, and other forest animals.
These bats use heat sensors to detect prey and razor-sharp teeth to make small incisions to access their victim's blood. Their saliva contains a strong anticoagulant that keeps the blood flowing. Vampire bats are considered pests because they can transmit rabies to livestock and, more rarely, to humans.
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Where do vampire bats live?
Vampire bats are native to the New World tropics and subtropics, specifically Mexico, Central America, and South America. These bats, belonging to the family Desmodontidae, include three species: the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi), and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata).
They roost in hollow trees or caves and use sonar to locate prey, which includes livestock, birds, reptiles, and occasionally humans. Vampire bats are considered pests because they can transmit rabies to livestock and sometimes to humans.
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What do vampire bats eat?
The vampire bat is unique as the only mammal whose diet consists solely of blood. The common vampire bat is known to feed on livestock, including cattle, pigs and chickens. The other two species feed on birds, reptiles, and other forest animals, and sometimes humans. They use heat sensors to detect prey and razor-sharp teeth to make small incisions to then lick the flowing blood. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant that prevents clotting.
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How do vampire bats find and drink their food?
Vampire bats, the only mammals solely reliant on blood, use heat sensors and echolocation to find their prey at night. They typically target livestock, birds, and reptiles, and occasionally humans.
Once a bat locates its prey, it lands nearby and crawls toward it. Then, vampire bats use their razor-sharp teeth to make tiny incisions in the skin and lick the flowing blood. Their saliva contains a strong anticoagulant that prevents clotting, allowing them to feed efficiently.
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What special features help vampire bats survive?
Vampire bats have unique adaptations that enable them to thrive on a diet of blood. They use razor-sharp teeth to make tiny incisions in their prey, often livestock, birds, or reptiles, and sometimes even humans.
A special anticoagulant in their saliva prevents the blood from clotting, allowing them to feed efficiently. They also have heat sensors on their faces to detect prey. Their long thumbs allow them to hop and leap, and they are the only bats that can take off from the ground. Vampire bats must feed every two days and will regurgitate blood to share with hungry members of their group.
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How do vampire bats interact with other animals and humans?
Vampire bats, the only mammals solely reliant on blood, include three species: the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi), and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata). They dwell in the New World tropics and subtropics.
These bats use sharp teeth to make small cuts in their prey, which includes livestock, birds, reptiles, and sometimes humans, and then they consume the flowing blood. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant to prevent clotting. Common vampire bats are known for their evolved social structure, sharing blood meals with group members who couldn't find food. Though the bites are typically not serious, they can transmit rabies and other infections.
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vampire bat, (family Desmodontidae), any of three species of blood-eating bats, native to the New World tropics and subtropics. The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), together with the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus, or Desmodus, youngi) and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) are the only sanguivorous (blood-eating) bats. The common vampire bat thrives in agricultural areas and feeds on livestock such as cattle, pigs, and chickens. The other two vampires are primarily restricted to intact forests, where they feed on birds, reptiles, and other forest animals.
Common vampire bats are tailless and are considered medium-sized, with a length of 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 inches). Weight is variable owing to the large volume of blood that the bat ingests. A 57-gram (2-ounce) specimen, for example, can double its weight in one feeding. Its fur is short, ranging in colour from brown to reddish orange; its wings are long and pointed; and the first segments of the thumb are exceptionally long, enabling it to hop and creep in a strangely agile, yet froglike manner along the ground. The common vampire bat is the only bat capable of taking off from the ground, using its long thumbs to leap a metre (three feet) or more into the air before flying off.
At night, the bats emerge from their roosts in hollow trees or caves. Using sonar (see echolocation) for orientation, they detect the presence of prey with heat sensors located in the face. The bats will usually land near their resting prey and then hop or crawl toward it. Once they have reached their prey (which can include sleeping humans), they make a tiny incision in the skin with their razor-sharp incisor teeth. The incision usually goes unnoticed by the resting animals, and the bats subsequently lick the blood flowing from the tiny wound. A very strong anticoagulant in the saliva of vampire bats keeps the blood from clotting. Although the wounds themselves are usually not serious, infection may result. Vampire bats are considered pests in much of their range, as they frequently transmit rabies to livestock. Humans can also be infected.
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The common vampire bat is noted for its unusual and highly evolved social structure. When an individual bat in a group does not get enough food at night, members of its group share their blood meals. Births are single but, unlike other bats that are usually weaned after four to six weeks, young vampires stay with their mothers for several months until they have learned to feed on their own. Females and their young form stable groups that roost together. Males roost separately, except for dominant males who roost with the females.
Vampire bats are related to the New World leaf-nosed bats (see family Phyllostomatidae) and are sometimes classified with them as a subfamily (Desmodontinae). The New World false vampire bats (genera Vampyrum and Chrotopterus) are phyllostomatids that are much larger than the sanguivorous bats. Although Vampyrum species are fierce in appearance, their snouts and long canine teeth are used to capture and eat small prey. Various Old World false vampire bats are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia.