Bats are the only mammals that can fly, but vampire
Bats are the only mammals that can fly, but vampire bats have an even more interesting distinction—they are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood.These notorious bats sleep during the day in total darkness, suspended upside down from the roofs of caves.
They typically gather in colonies of about 100 animals, but sometimes
live in groups of 1,000 or more. In one year, a 100-bat colony
can drink the blood of 25 cows.During the darkest part of the night,
common vampire bats emerge to hunt. Sleeping cattle and horses are
their usual victims, but they have been known to feed on people as
well. The bats drink their victim's blood for about 30 minutes.
They don't remove enough blood to harm their host, but their bites can
cause nasty infections and disease.Vampire bats strike their victims
from the ground. They land near their prey and approach it on all
fours.
The
bats have few teeth because of their liquid diet, but those they have
are razor sharp. Each bat has a heat sensor on its nose that points it
toward a spot where warm blood is flowing just beneath its victim's
skin.
After putting the bite on an animal, the vampire bat laps up the
flowing blood with its tongue. Its saliva prevents the blood from
clotting.Young vampire bats feed not on blood but on milk. They cling
tightly to their mothers, even in flight, and consume nothing but her
milk for about three months.The common vampire bat is found in the
tropics of Mexico, Central America, and South America.
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