Vampire Bat

Vampire Bat facts at a glance

How big is a vampire bat?

An adult vampire bat measures 9 cm long — about 5% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 40 g, a small fraction of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of vampire bats called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

A diet of blood

Vampire bats feed only on blood, usually from sleeping livestock and other large animals. Heat sensors on the nose help them find a spot where blood flows close to the skin, and razor-sharp teeth make a small, painless cut. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant that keeps the wound bleeding while they lap, not suck.

Sharing and friendship

Vampire bats are remarkably social. A bat that fails to feed will starve within a couple of nights, so well-fed roost-mates regurgitate blood to share with hungry companions. They form long-term bonds and remember which individuals have helped them before.

Built to move

Unusually for bats, vampire bats are agile on the ground and can run, hop, and leap, which helps them approach prey and take off again afterward. They roost by day in dark caves, hollow trees, and old buildings, often in large colonies.

Vampire bats and people

Vampire bats are not endangered, but they matter to human health because they can transmit rabies to livestock and, rarely, to people. Vaccinating animals and people at risk is more effective than killing bats, which can actually spread the disease further.

Did you know? Vampire Bat facts

• The vampire bat is a small Latin American bat and the only mammal that feeds entirely on blood.
• Yes. Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood, usually from sleeping livestock. They lap the blood from a small cut rather than sucking it.
• The bite itself is tiny and painless, but vampire bats can carry rabies, so any bite from a wild bat should be taken seriously and checked by a doctor.
• Yes. Vampire bats regurgitate blood to feed roost-mates that did not eat, and they form lasting bonds with the individuals who help them.
• Vampire bats live in the tropics and subtropics of Latin America, roosting in caves, hollow trees, and old buildings, often in colonies.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Vampire Bat feeds primarily as a sanguivore (blood). Vampire bats feed only on blood, usually from sleeping livestock and other large animals. Heat sensors on the nose help them find a spot where blood flows close to the skin, and razor-sharp teeth make a small, painless cut. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant that

Adaptations

• Vampire bats feed only on blood, usually from sleeping livestock and other large animals. Heat sensors on the nose help them find a spot where blood flows close to the skin, and razor-sharp teeth make a small, painless cut. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant that keeps the wound bleeding while they lap, not suck.
• Vampire bats are remarkably social. A bat that fails to feed will starve within a couple of nights, so well-fed roost-mates regurgitate blood to share with hungry companions. They form long-term bonds and remember which individuals have helped them before.

Behaviour & ecology

• Vampire bats feed only on blood, usually from sleeping livestock and other large animals. Heat sensors on the nose help them find a spot where blood flows close to the skin, and razor-sharp teeth make a small, painless cut. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant that keeps the wound bleeding while they lap, not suck.
• Vampire bats are remarkably social. A bat that fails to feed will starve within a couple of nights, so well-fed roost-mates regurgitate blood to share with hungry companions. They form long-term bonds and remember which individuals have helped them before.
• Unusually for bats, vampire bats are agile on the ground and can run, hop, and leap, which helps them approach prey and take off again afterward. They roost by day in dark caves, hollow trees, and old buildings, often in large colonies.

Communication

• Vampire Bat uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Caves and tree hollows in the tropics

Ecological role

Vampire Bat plays a recognised ecological role in caves and tree hollows in the tropics.

Conservation status of the Vampire Bat

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Vampire Bat:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Desmodus rotundus.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Desmodus rotundus. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Desmodus rotundus. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• IUCN Red List — Desmodus rotundus.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Desmodus rotundus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Vampire Bat.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.