Vampire Bats Call Out to Friends to Share Blood Meals

During the night’s darkest hours, somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m., vampire bats that dwell in the agricultural regions of Panama leave their roosts for their blood meal. One by one, they come out of the hollow trees they live in and fly into the night looking for grazing cattle. The bats, which have wingspans of about a foot, flutter around until they spot their victim. After a vampire bat eyes its target it will land on its back, crawl up and down and then pick a spot to bite. The flying mammals use the heat sensors in their nose to locate the cow’s blood vessels. They prep the wound site, shaving the hairs off with their rough-textured tongues. Finally, they sink their razor-sharp teeth into the cow’s flesh, creating a deep wound, and as the blood flows, they lap it with their tongues. Read Full Story in the Smithsonian