Common Vampire Bat

Desmodus rotundus

Common Vampire Bat

“ Bring a vampire around, people start discovering religion. ”

– Richard Laymon

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Chiroptera

Family: Phyllostomidae

Genus: Desmodus

Species: Desmodus rotundus

Descendant: Phyllostomidae

Named by: Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire

Year Published: 1810

Size: 9 cm (3.5 in) long with a wingspan of 18 cm (7 in). It commonly weighs about 25–40  grams (2 oz)

Type: 

Title: 

Other Name(s)/Alias(es): none

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Pleistocene–Holocene

Alignment: Curious

Threat Level: ★★★★

Diet: Carnivorous 🥩🐟🩸

Elements: Dark, air

Inflicts: Bleeding

Weaknesses: Earth, ice, combat, fae, poison

Casualties: none

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List

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 bats, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat practices hematophagy, mainly feeding on the blood of livestock.

Etymology

Coming soon

Physical Appearance

The silver-gray fur on the undersides of the common vampire bat distinguishes it from the darker fur on its back. The vampire bat has short hair. Its snout is flat and fashioned like a leaf, and its bottom lip is deeply grooved. Each wing has a developed, clawed thumb that is used to help the animal take off and climb onto prey. The bat has an average length of 9 cm (3.5 in) and an 18 cm (7 in) wingspan. It typically weighs between 25 and 40 grams (2 oz), although after just one feeding, its weight can significantly grow.


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. It is also capable of leaping in various directions, heights, and distances. When making a jump, the bat pushes up with its pectoral limbs. The hindlimbs keep the body over the pectoral limbs, which are stabilized by the thumbs.

Abilities

The common vampire bat is a hematophagous species that mostly feeds on the blood of animals. Typically, the bat goes after its target while it's asleep at night. It then splits apart its hosts' skin with its razor-sharp fangs and uses its long tongue to drink their blood.


Vampire bats have special adaptations to help them with the special way they feed. For instance, researchers discovered that flying mammals can locate prey by sensing the sound of an animal breathing. These bats can even recognize the breathing patterns of one animal, like a cow, and return to feed on it night after night. While sometimes debated, vampire bats are considered venomous as they produce a specialised secretion in their saliva (aptly named 'Draculin'), which facilitates their feeding.

Ecology

Because of the strong polygynous nature of the species, dominant adult males guard groups of females. Among the most gregarious bat species, it engages in a variety of cooperative activities like food sharing and social grooming. The common vampire bat is regarded as a pest because it feeds on cattle and spreads rabies. In captivity, these bats have also been known to feed on snakes, lizards, toads, crocodiles, and turtles.


In areas where females roost, men fight for space. Each male guards a portion of the roost from other males when multiple males occupy it. Wilkinson saw resident males aggressively guarding their area from other males who were out and about in tree roosts. Fighting, shoving, and chasing are common forms of defense. Wing strikes, biting, and gestures are the three main fighting techniques.


A male will climb up on a female's back, clasp her folded wings with his own, and place his mouth to the back of her neck to initiate mating behavior. It takes three to four minutes to copulate.

Behavior

Even though bat bites don't hurt, vampire bats can spread a disease called rabies. This can hurt farmers' livestock, especially cattle herds. However, vampire bats can actually be quite tame and even friendly to humans. One researcher reported that he had vampire bats that would come to him when he called their names.

Distribution and Habitat

The common vampire bat is found in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands of Margarita and Trinidad. They can be found as far north as 280 kilometers (170 mi) south of the Mexico-United States border. Fossils of this species have been found in Florida and states bordering Mexico.


The common vampire is the most common bat species in southeastern Brazil. The southern extent of its range is Uruguay, northern Argentina, and central Chile. In the West Indies, the bat is only found in Trinidad. It prefers warm and humid climates and uses tropical and subtropical woodlands and open grasslands for foraging. Bats roost in trees, caves, abandoned buildings, old wells, and mines. Vampire bats will roost with about 45 other bat species, and they tend to be 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.


This species is abundant.


Tamed

Bats can adapt to humans by being domesticated, to the point that they become clingy and cuddly. However, their lifespan in captivity is typically significantly lower than that of their wild counterpart, where they can live up to 30 years. You can feed with grubs, fruits, blood, or meat.

Lore

Coming soon

Known Individuals

Gallery

See also: none

Foreign Languages

Trivia