The hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata ) is one of three extant species of vampire bats. It mainly feeds on the blood of wild birds, but can also feed both on domestic birds and humans. This vampire bat lives mainly in tropical and subtropical forestlands of South America, Central America, and southern Mexico. It is the sole member of the genus Diphylla.
The Hairy-legged vampire bat is one of three extant species of vampire bats. It mainly feeds on the blood of wild birds, but can also feed both on domestic birds and humans. This vampire bat lives in the forestlands of the Americas and is the sole member of its genus.
Hairy-legged vampire bats are found in South America, Central America, and southern Mexico. They inhabit forests and can also be found in open areas. Preferable roosting areas include caves, mines, and sometimes hollow trees.
Hairy-legged vampire bats are nocturnal and roost in sheltered areas during the day. Caves and mines are preferred roosts, though hollow trees may also be used. These vampire bats are generally solitary but may be found roosting in small groups of 12 or fewer individuals. However, groups of up to 50 individuals have also been reported. They often share their roosts with Common vampire bats, as well as other leaf-nosed bats. Vampire bats are quite intelligent creatures and form strong bonds with other members of their colony. A related unique adaptation of vampire bats is the sharing of food. A vampire bat can only survive about two days without feeding, yet they cannot be guaranteed of finding food every night. This poses a problem, so when a bat fails to find food, it will often "beg" another bat for food. A "donor" bat may regurgitate a small amount of blood to sustain the other member of the colony. Vampire bats also engage in social grooming. It usually occurs between females and their offspring, but it is also significant between adult females and is mostly associated with food sharing.
Hairy-legged vampire bats are sanguivorous, feeding on the blood of birds, mammals, humans, and cattle.
Hairy-legged vampire bats can breed throughout the year. Pregnancy lasts approximately 5.5 months and females usually give birth to only one pup. The young are born with their eyes open and start to fly at approximately 57 days old. They continue to nurse and seek regurgitated blood from their mothers long after that, up until approximately 223 days of age. Females who have lost their pups may nurse the young of unrelated females. Reproductive maturity is usually reached at approximately one year of age.
There are no major threats to the Hairy-legged vampire bat at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Hairy-legged vampire bat total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
