Hangin' with Vampire Bats

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.

Body Size ~ 3 - 3.5 in & Wingspan ~ 7-8 in

Soft and velvety light brown furry bodies

Weight: less than 2 oz

Nocturnal

Excellent Sight ~ they can see a cow from a distance of 420 feet away

Vampire bats live in caves, tree hollows, old wells, and abandoned houses

Fly about 3 feet off the ground

They can walk, run and jump

Average lifespan in the wild: About 9 years, but can live up to 20 years in captivity

Female bats form attachments to one another that can last for many years

Very clean, like other mammals they frequently groom themselves as well as other bats.

If they don't find blood for 2 nights in a row, they will die

Live in Mexico and South America

They typically gather in colonies of about 100 animals, but sometimes live in groups of 1,000 or more

Thanks in part to the movies, we envision a Vampire Bat as a blood sucking demon that swoops from the sky, bites us in the neck and sucks our blood. After such an encounter, the victim becomes a vampire who would then roam the earth satisfying its own blood lust. It has even been suggested that they have supernatural powers allowing them to change shapes from bat to man. And don't forget, a vampire gets to sleep in a coffin. Although, I would rather hang from the ceiling.

Bloodletting has traditionally held healing qualities. It has been reported that a Mexican monk who came down with a violent fever was given a death sentence by morning. It seems that his feet had been left uncovered during the night and a vampire bat entered the room. The little bat, having bitten the mans toe and lapped his blood, had so reduced the fever that the sick man recovered.

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Scientists have discovered that vampire bat saliva is better at keeping blood from clotting than any known medicine. Research on the anticoagulant agents in vampire bat saliva may improve medical treatment of some human injuries and diseases.

In additional to the medicinal benefit, the Guano can be harvested and used as a fertilizer.

Vampire bats strike their victims from the ground. They land near their prey and approach it on all fours. .

Birds, sleeping cattle or horses are their usual victims, but they have been known to occasionally bite humans. After putting the bite on an animal, the vampire bat laps up the flowing blood with its grooved tongue, which helps move blood rapidly to its mouth.
The bats are so light and agile that they can drink their sleeping victim's blood for about 30 minutes without waking it up. They don't remove enough blood to harm their host. They only need about 2 tablespoons per day.

I can't help but wonder why we are so hard on these little creatures. They only lick a little blood, they don't kill. We adore bears, lions, cougars and tigers,
They all kill to eat. We even name our athletic teams and school mascots after them. Why do we ignore the fact that they kill to eat but we detest a small animal who exists by merely drinking blood? When you really think about it, Vampire Bats are a lot more merciful.

Yes, they can carry rabies and we do need to exterminate those carriers. But they are victims too. They didn't just wake up one night and say "I want a killing disease that I can spread around." Other common carriers of rabies include foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats and wolves. In fact, all mammals can catch and carry rabies.

We vaccinate our pets so they will not get rabies, why not focus on efforts to protect the little bat colonies so they do not have to suffer with that disease? Wow, if we focused on eliminating rabies, the disease, instead of eliminating little animals because they are commonly victims of the disease, wouldn't we all be better off?

Lets have a little mercy for the merciful!

Plush Vampire Bat Cuddlekin 12"

Moderated by Sylvestermouse
Updated: 2/16/12

Introduction photo: bss.sfsu.edu
Myth photo http://photobucket.com
Mystery photo: s378.photobucket.com
Medicinal photo: http://johnsonhl.wordpress.com
Meals photo galeon.com
Mercy photo: en.academic.ru
Owl: http://fireflyforest.net