# How Fast Is A Vampire Bat?

> Vampire Bat top speed is about Agile flier; can also run on the ground. Sprint vs endurance and what limits pace.

- **Species:** Vampire Bat (*Desmodus rotundus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Sanguivore (blood)
- **Habitat:** Caves and tree hollows in the tropics
- **Lifespan:** 9–12 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Agile flier; can also run on the ground
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-bat/how-fast-is-a-vampire-bat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-bat/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The vampire bat is a small Latin American bat and the only mammal that feeds entirely on blood. It makes a painless bite, laps blood kept flowing by anticoagulant saliva, and shares food with roost-mates that miss a meal. Common vampire bats usually live around 9 to 12 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Vampire Bat profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-bat/) instead.

## 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.

## Help protect the Vampire Bat

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-bat/how-fast-is-a-vampire-bat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.