Vampire Bat Behavior

When people hear the words "vampire bat," images of Dracula usually enter their minds. Although vampire bats do drink blood, they rarely feed from the neck of a human. An Eastern European legend of the dead drinking blood from a human victim caused this misconception. Vampire bats are not even found in Europe, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Nonetheless, the vampire bat got its name from the myths out of Europe.

  1. Habitat

    • Vampire bats prefer the warmer climates of the tropics and mostly are found in Central and South America, according to the Louisville Zoo. These species prefer dark areas. Their nests can be found in caves, abandoned wells and mine shafts. Although they tend to stay at lower elevations, some vampire bats have been found as high up as 7,500 feet.

    Diet

    • Vampire bats feed off livestock such as cows and horses, according to the Smithsonian Institution. They find their prey by flying 3 feet above the ground and listening for a breathing animal. Once found, the vampire bat will land beside his prey and make an incision with his teeth. The saliva contains a pain suppressant, so the animal feels nothing. After making the incisions, the bat laps with a tongue that draws blood from the wound. To get a full meal, two tablespoons, takes a vampire bat about 20 minutes.

    Behavior

    • Vampire bats can be found living alone to colonies of thousands. Large colonies are broken up into smaller groups, according to the Louisville Zoo. The females and their offspring group together, while the males group together close to the females.

      Male vampire bats are territorial and will fight other male bats. However, vampire bats will also blood share with bats who could not find a source to feed from, by regurgitating the blood to the other bats.

      This is a mutual benefit for the regurgitating bat. They will mostly likely need the favor returned in the future. Bats can die if they do not feed for two to three days.

    Reproduction

    • Unlike other animal species, there is not a specific breeding time for vampire bats. They can breed any time. A female vampire bat usually gives birth to a single offspring once a year. Twins have been known to happen, but are rare. According to the Louisville Zoo, gestation is seven to eight months.

      Baby vampire bats take their mother's milk for the first month, then start feeding of regurgitated blood from the mother in the second. In the fourth month, they take flight with their mother and learn to hunt. By 10 months old, they are completely independent from their mother.

    Interesting Fact

    • Scientists have made a blood-thinning drug from vampire bat's saliva, according to the Louisville Zoo. The original name of the drug was Draculin, and it helped prevent strokes and heart attacks. The name of the drug has been changed to Desmoteplase.