vampire bats
Blood-drinking flying mammals
Vampire bats are small bats native to Central and South America that feed exclusively on blood.
They make small incisions in sleeping animals—typically livestock—and lap the flowing blood.
Unlike most bats, they can walk and run on the ground to approach prey.
The three species are the only mammals with a fully blood-based diet.
- nocturnalityDarkness-hours activity pattern
- nocturnal huntersAnimals active at night
- night visionAbility to see dimly
- echolocationNavigation through reflected sound
- anticoagulantSubstance preventing blood clots
saliva · bloodsucking · wings · Mexico · sharing · infrared · bat colonies · Central America · Dracula · horror movies · grooming behavior · maxilla · South America · folklore · tropical forests · roosting · mammals · bite
- batsbat, fruit bat, flying fox, microbat, megabat
- nocturnal animalsowls, raccoons, opossums, moths, fireflies
- fluid feedersaphid, mosquitoes, leeches, aphids, butterflies
- kin selectionrelatedness, coefficient, nepotism, selfish gene, fitness
- parasitestapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, fleas
- disease carriersrats, mice, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas
vampire batscleaner fish
Removes parasites from others
oxpeckers · mutualists · beneficial insects · honeybees · hummingbirds
vampire batsbutterflies
Fluttering insects or nervousness
hummingbirds · doves · unicorns · angels · songbirds