No species has contributed more to the fear of bats than the vampire bat. Movie portrayal and public perception of them as creepy, blood-sucking monsters is an incorrect representation. The vampire bat in fact rarely kills its prey and is very ordinary looking, although they do have some fascinating adaptations to their ecology and lifestyle, their anatomy and physiology, and their feeding behaviors.
The Vampire Bat is a small, carnivorous mammal who drinks the blood of birds, horses, pigs, and cows. Although it is uncommon, they have been known to bite humans as well. Hematophagy is the name for their blood diet. Their scientific name is the Desmodus Rotundus and they are a nocturnal species from the family Phyllostomidae and is the only …show more content…
These colonies are known as harems, which primarily consist of females, their offspring, and very few males. The males that are present in these harems are know as resident males. The few resident males mate with all of the female bats living in the colony. Vampire bats are the only living species of bat to exhibit an adoption characteristic. They adopt young when something happens to their mother- it is believed this is due to the close ties they keep within their …show more content…
Vampire bats actually break the skin with their teeth then use their tongue to lap up the blood as it oozes from their prey. Vampire bats only feed and hunt after the sun goes down and it is completely dark. They feed mostly on mammals. After locating a host using the hunting adaptations previously mentioned, the bat lands on the ground and walks to its prey, more than likely a sleeping animal. If the host has fur, the vampire bat uses its cheek and canine teeth to shave the fur from the biting site. Their sharp upper teeth make a bite that, on average, measures seven millimeters wide and eight millimeters deep. Their upper incisors remain permanently sharp because they do not have an outer enamel layer. The saliva from the bite that is left in the bite wound contains many compounds that promote bleeding, such as anticoagulants that stop the clotting of blood, and compounds that do not allow the blood vessels near the wound to constrict.This sounds harmful to their prey, however it does not harm the animal being fed on. In fact, a vampire bat is so small and light that it can usually feed on an animal for up to a half hour before being noticed or waking its
The Vampire Bat is a small, carnivorous mammal who drinks the blood of birds, horses, pigs, and cows. Although it is uncommon, they have been known to bite humans as well. Hematophagy is the name for their blood diet. Their scientific name is the Desmodus Rotundus and they are a nocturnal species from the family Phyllostomidae and is the only …show more content…
These colonies are known as harems, which primarily consist of females, their offspring, and very few males. The males that are present in these harems are know as resident males. The few resident males mate with all of the female bats living in the colony. Vampire bats are the only living species of bat to exhibit an adoption characteristic. They adopt young when something happens to their mother- it is believed this is due to the close ties they keep within their …show more content…
Vampire bats actually break the skin with their teeth then use their tongue to lap up the blood as it oozes from their prey. Vampire bats only feed and hunt after the sun goes down and it is completely dark. They feed mostly on mammals. After locating a host using the hunting adaptations previously mentioned, the bat lands on the ground and walks to its prey, more than likely a sleeping animal. If the host has fur, the vampire bat uses its cheek and canine teeth to shave the fur from the biting site. Their sharp upper teeth make a bite that, on average, measures seven millimeters wide and eight millimeters deep. Their upper incisors remain permanently sharp because they do not have an outer enamel layer. The saliva from the bite that is left in the bite wound contains many compounds that promote bleeding, such as anticoagulants that stop the clotting of blood, and compounds that do not allow the blood vessels near the wound to constrict.This sounds harmful to their prey, however it does not harm the animal being fed on. In fact, a vampire bat is so small and light that it can usually feed on an animal for up to a half hour before being noticed or waking its