The Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat. The common vampire bat mainly feeds on the blood of livestock and usually approaches its prey at night while they are sleeping. Because it feeds on livestock and is a carrier of rabies, the Common vampire bat is considered a pest.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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SanguivoreSanguivores are animals that feed on the blood of other animals. They have mouth parts and chemical agents for penetrating vascular structures in t...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Common vampire bat is short-haired, with silver-gray fur on its undersides, demarcated from the darker fur on its back. It has a deeply grooved lower lip, and a flat, leaf-shaped nose. A well-developed, clawed thumb on each wing is used to climb onto prey and assist the animal in take-off. While most other bats have almost completely lost the ability to maneuver on land, vampire bats are an exception. They can run using a unique, bounding gait in which the forelimbs are used instead of the hindlimbs to propel forward, as the wings are much more powerful than the legs. This ability likely evolved independently within the bat lineage. Three pads under the thumb function like a sole.
Common vampire bats are found in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. They prefer warm and humid climates and use tropical and subtropical woodlands and open grasslands for foraging. Bats roost in trees, caves, abandoned buildings, old wells, and mines.
Vampire bats live in colonies and have a number of cooperative behaviors such as social grooming and food sharing. Colony numbers can range from single digits to hundreds in roosting sites. The basic social structure of roosting bats is made of female groups and their offspring, a few adult males, known as "resident males", and a separate group of males, known as "nonresident males". Common vampire bats will also roost with about 45 other bat species and are usually the most dominant at roosting sites. They occupy the darkest and highest places in the roosts; when they leave, other bat species move in to take over these vacated spots. Vampire bats hunt at night, using echolocation and olfaction to track down prey. They feed at a distance of 5 to 8 km (3.1 to 5.0 mi) from their roosts. When a bat selects a target, it lands on it, or jumps up onto it from the ground, usually targeting the rump, flank, or neck of its prey; heat sensors in the nose help it to detect blood vessels near the surface of the skin. It pierces the animal's skin with its teeth, biting away a small flap, and laps up the blood with its tongue, which has lateral grooves adapted to this purpose. Common vampire bats are protective of their host and will fend off other bats while feeding and only mothers and their offspring may feed on the same host.
Common vampire bats are carnivores and feed primarily on mammalian blood, particularly that of livestock such as cattle and horses. They feed on wild prey like the tapir but seem to prefer domesticated animals and favor horses over cattle when given the choice.
Common vampire bats are highly polygynous, and dominant adult males defend groups of females. They may breed year-round, although the number of births peaks in the rainy season. Females give birth to one offspring per pregnancy, following a gestation period of about 7 months. The young are raised primarily by females. Mothers leave their young to hunt and call their young to feed upon returning. The young accompany their mothers to hunt at 6 months but are not fully weaned until 9 months. Female offspring usually remain in their natal groups into adulthood, unless their mothers die or move. The occasional movements of unrelated females between groups lead to the formation of multiple matrilines within groups. Male offspring tend to live in their natal groups until they are 1 to 2 years old, sometimes being forced out by the resident adult males. Common vampire bats reach reproductive maturity when they are 9-10 months old.
There are no major threats facing Common vampire bats at present.
According to IUCN, the Common vampire bat is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...