Facts about Vampire Bat Feeding Strategy
- 05
Vampire bats are the only mammals that survive entirely on blood, a diet known as hematophagy, which requires specialized digestion to process the high-protein, low-calorie liquid.
- 04
Common vampire bats often return to the same host animal on consecutive nights, developing a reliable feeding relationship with individual prey.
- 03
Anticoagulant compounds in vampire bat saliva, such as draculin, prevent the prey's blood from clotting during feeding.
- 02
After locating prey, vampire bats make a small incision with razor-sharp teeth and lap up blood using a grooved tongue, consuming a meal entirely through lapping rather than sucking.
- 01
The common vampire bat uses heat-sensing pit organs near its nose to locate warm blood vessels close to the skin surface of its prey.