How Does a Vampire Bat Feed?

Bats are thought to be adorable by many people – they are soft mammal creatures that have incredible hearing skills and can fly through the night.  Despite how cute some find them to be, many people are in fact afraid of bats:  they are the center of many scary films, and they seem to make their way into everyone’s nightmares.  At night, they are the animals that fly around in the dark.  But what are we so afraid of? Perhaps one thing that can cause fear is the way that vampire bats eat.

Many people are rightfully scared, because vampire bats in fact eat blood of other animals!  How is it possible that a bat can drink blood from other animals?  It seems strange, at first, for an animal to choose such a gruesome way to eat.  However, when you understand the process of how a vampire bat feeds, it becomes more clear just how these animals get their nutrition. When a vampire bat needs to eat:

• First, the vampire bat will find prey that is asleep. 
• It is critical that the bat bites into a victim that is asleep so that they do not feel the initial bite. 
• If the animal does not wake up, then the bat will be able to drink the blood of this animal for a long time.

No Pain When a Vampire Bat Feeds

Most people think that food for a vampire bat can be a gory and disturbing experience for the animal that is being fed on but in fact, many animals are not aware that they are being bit by a vampire bat.  Since the victim is sleeping, these bats slip their teeth into the victim cleanly and almost painlessly, and can stay in this position for an extended period of time while the animal is unconscious.

Vampire Bat Saliva

How can this be possible that an animal doesn't wake up when a vampire bat is feeding on it? The saliva of these bats is very special and is the key to understanding how vampire bats feed:  it contains a kind of chemical, an anticoagulant, that keeps the wound from healing.  Since no scab is forming, blood can flow freely from the victim for a very extended period of time – sometimes over a few hours.  This is the perfect way for these bats to get the nutrition they need from their victims.

They don’t drink the blood right from their victims.  Instead, they drink the blood that has oozed from the victim right out onto their skin.  In this way, these bats aren’t exactly like the human-like vampires you have seen in the movies. 

Vampire Bat Food:  What Bats Eat

These bats live in the region between Northern, Central and South America, which means that many people risk coming into contact with these bats.  However, you shouldn’t worry too much about your own health, but you should worry about your livestock if you are a farmer.

You can find lots of pictures of vampire bats eating online, but it can be difficult to discern just what animals they bite.  Of course, after learning how vampire bats feed, the main question on your mind probably is – how can I be sure that I won’t be bitten by a vampire? 

Bats like this only tend to feed on the animals on a farm:  including pigs, cows, and poultry.  Hens, roosters, cattle, and turkeys could be at risk in this situation.  If you own a farm, it is best to protect your animals from bats.  Also, protect your pets:  these bats are known to bite dogs, so keep your larger pets out of harm’s way as well.

For more information about vampire bat feeding and how you can protect yourself and your animals, consider speaking to a zoologist or veterinarian for advice and help on the issue.