Creature Feature: Vampire Bat
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Vampire
bats are the only known mammals that survive solely on blood.
There
are three different types of vampire bats: Desmodus rotundus, Diaemus youngi,
and Diphylla ecaudata.The common vampire bat species is Desmodus rotundus.Two
of the three vampire bat species—Diaemus youngi and Diphylla ecaudata—feed
primarily on the blood of birdsEach night, vampire bats drink about half their
body weight in blood.
A
special substance in vampire bat saliva keeps blood from clotting.
Vampire
bats have fewer teeth than other kinds of bats.
Vampire
bats have special teeth for making small cuts in their prey.
The
wingspan of a common vampire bat is about 8 inches (20 centimeters), but its
body is only about the size of a human thumb.
Common
vampire bats roost alone, in small groups, or in colonies of thousands.
Vampire
bats are nocturnal and most active in the early night.
Vampire
bats, which weigh between .5 and 1.7 ounces (15 and 50 grams), often feed on
animals 10,000 times their size in weight, such as a cow. After feeding, the
common vampire bat has added so much body weight that it needs additional help
from its long thumbs to propel its body off the ground to fly.
Scientists
have observed that female bats form associations with one another that can last
for many years.
After
feeding, the common vampire bat has added so much body weight that it needs
additional help from its long thumbs to propel its body off the ground to fly.
Vampire
bats find their prey by using smell, sound, and a process called echolocation.
Using
echolocation, bats emit high-pitched sounds and interpret the sounds' echoes to
locate objects
Keeping
low to the ground, vampire bats generally fly about three feet (one meter) off
the ground.
Vampire
bats can live about 20 years in captivity.
While
much of the world sleeps, vampire bats emerge from dark caves, mines, tree
hollows, and abandoned buildings in Mexico and Central and South America. They
glide stealthily through the night air as they search for food.
Like
the legendary monster from which they get their name, these small mammals drink
the blood of other animals for survival. They feed on blood from cows, pigs,
horses, and birds. Though uncommon, vampire bats even occasionally bite humans
for blood.
Rather
than sucking blood, vampire bats make a small cut with their teeth and then lap
up the flowing blood with their tongues. These bats are so light and agile that
they are sometimes able to drink blood from an animal for more than 30 minutes
without waking it up. The blood sucking does not hurt the animal.
Vampire
bats have special adaptations to help them with their unique feeding needs.
Unlike some other species of bats, vampire bats can walk, run, and jump. They
have very strong hind legs and a special thumb that helps them take off after
feeding. Also, heat sensors on their noses help them find a good spot on an
animal’s body to feed.
What
happens if vampire bats don’t get their nightly meal? If they can’t find blood
for two nights in a row, they will die. Luckily, female bats can be generous.
Well-fed bats will often regurgitate blood to share with others, in exchange
for grooming. Female bats in captivity seem especially friendly toward new
mothers. After a baby is born, other bats have been observed feeding the mother
for about two weeks after the birth.
Are
vampire bats really that scary? Even though bat bites themselves aren’t
harmful, vampire bats can spread a disease called rabies. This disease hurts
farmers’ livestock, especially cattle herds. However, vampire bats can actually
be quite tame, and even friendly to humans. In fact, one researcher reported
that he had vampire bats that would come to him when he called their names.
Text
by Monique Duwell
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