Vampires are bats. Vampire bats really drink blood

Well, what if you dig deeper? Maybe even remember what you read once horror stories oh... However, first, let's take a look at the pages of Alfred Wallace's book "Tropical Nature".

"IN South America, writes Wallace, “another group is common bats"The one that definitely attracts your attention are the so-called vampires, or bloodsuckers, that abound throughout tropical America, especially in the Amazon Valley."

Vampires are common not only in the tropics of South America, but also occupy the subtropical regions of Central America up to the north of Mexico. Species diversity There are few bloodsuckers, there are only three types of them: ordinary, white-winged and hairy-legged vampires. The most numerous and widespread is the ordinary vampire, and therefore further we will only talk about it.

The vampire has a short rounded head, small ears with pointed tops, a conical muzzle with a wide nose decorated with thick-skinned outgrowths, and a split lower lip. The main weapon when obtaining food is the teeth, and from them the upper incisors, which in bloodsuckers are highly developed, directed somewhat forward and have a sharp cutting edge that serves to gnaw the skin of the victim.

The habitats of vampires are extremely diverse. In an ecological sense, these are very plastic animals. They can be found in almost all landscape areas: on open plains and in wet forests, in deserts and mountains at altitudes up to 3000 meters above sea level. Sometimes they occupy areas completely devoid of water and vegetation.

During the day, vampires hide in dark caves, hollow trees, attics of houses or in wells. Most often they settle in small colonies numbering from 20 to 100 individuals, but they are also found alone, and sometimes in large clusters of up to a thousand or more animals.

Until recently, it was believed that each vampire colony was a more or less autonomous group. Research conducted by American scientists has shown that the composition of colonies is not constant, since individuals are often exchanged between them! Thus, the colony only territorially connects the animals for some time and is integral part large mobile population. Vampires, as a rule, stick to the same places, only occasionally do they undertake long journeys, and therefore the distances between the “cells” of such a population are small.

Bloodsuckers are active at any time of the day, but activity usually reaches its peak at midnight. The animals fly out to prey in groups of 2-6 individuals and fly at a height of 0.5-1.5 meters. If necessary, a vampire can not only fly, but also run quickly; when running, the animal’s wings are tightly folded along the forearms, and it rests on the pads at the base thumb"hand". A vampire running nimbly in the dark resembles a frog or a giant spider.

Looking for a victim great value for vampires has a sense of smell. In one experiment, animals were trained to find small pieces of filter paper soaked in butyric acid. In a similar experimental setting, the same task was presented to several laboratory members. It turned out that vampires “sniff” a concentration of butyric acid vapor that is 200 times less than what a person can detect.

Saussure leaf beetle (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae)

The ultrasonic signals emitted by vampires have a low power, much less than that of bats that feed on insects. We do not yet know about biological significance All that is clear about these signals is that they are used as echolocation signals. But it is impossible to say with certainty whether they serve to detect obstacles, or to find the desired victim, or, perhaps, to select the place on the victim where it is easiest to bite through the skin and suck out the required amount of blood.

Among all chiropterans, vampires are in some ways very lucky - in terms of their feeding method, they are so different from other species that they have no competitors in the entire class of mammals. Only blood, and fresh blood at that, serves as food for them.

The vampire spends up to an hour and a half searching and choosing a victim. When the choice is made, the bloodsucker descends on its victim or on the ground near it and then on foot climbs onto the calmly sleeping animal

Areas of the body with a superficial and richly branched network of blood capillaries, mainly the area of ​​the ears, tail and neck, are exposed to bites. The bite itself is preceded by prolonged wetting of the victim's hair with saliva. It is believed that the saliva of vampires contains a substance that has a destructive effect on hair follicles and thereby promotes hair removal. After such preparation, the vampire chews off a small area of ​​skin with lightning speed, creating a wound 4-5 millimeters wide and up to 5 millimeters deep. Depending on the nature of the skin and the type of victim, vampires use several types of bites. A typical bite is applied using the upper and lower incisors (like sharp scissors) and creates a round, crater-shaped wound. A scraping or scratching bite - only the upper incisors are used as tools for this. Finally, the cutting bite is applied using a combination of the upper and lower fangs.

After the “cup” is ready, the vampire plunges his tongue into it, at the very end of which a pair of grooves begin, connecting with a deep groove on the lower lip and thus forming a “straw” for drinking, through which blood is absorbed. Blood sucking rarely lasts more than 40 minutes, but usually it takes 20-30 minutes for a vampire to be completely satisfied. Laboratory observations carried out on vampires have revealed that the duration of a bloody meal may depend on the reaction of the victim: if she is calm, the vampire gets drunk without any fuss. But there are times when the poor animal wakes up, begins to worry and tries to get rid of the terrible “rider”. Under such circumstances, the vampire temporarily adopts a wait-and-see approach - he allows the victim to come to his senses and calm down, then sneaks up and resumes the attack. And in general, in such situations, he behaves very persistently, rarely lets the victim go home and leaves without a slurp. However, such cases of “wrong” behavior by the victim do not occur often. After all, a vampire’s saliva has analgesic properties, and an inaudible “landing” on the victim is ensured thanks to small soft pads at the ends of the forearms and on the soles of the feet.

The main objects of vampire attack are large and small cattle, horses, mules. Other domestic animals and even birds are not left without attention. Man also does not escape this fate. According to A. Wallace, “some people are especially susceptible to attacks by these bloodsuckers, and since the huts of the natives are never properly locked, such unfortunate individuals must sleep completely wrapped up, so as not to become seriously ill from the bites and not even endanger their lives.”

We cannot definitely say to what extent one of the founders of Darwinism is right when speaking about the selective nature of vampire attacks on people, however, in nature, similar behavior is also found in the trophic “companions” of vampires - mosquitoes. It is known for certain that mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of lactic acid secreted by the skin of animals. Due to the fact that different individuals secrete acid in different quantities, the degree of attractiveness of the victims also varies. Well, if such selectivity exists in mosquitoes, then why shouldn’t vampires have it? Perhaps they are also guided by a very specific smell.

Squad - Chiroptera

Family - Vampire

Genus/Species - Desmodus rotundus. An ordinary vampire or desmodes or a large bloodsucker

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Body length: 8 cm

Wingspan: 20 cm.

Weight: up to 50 years

REPRODUCTION

Puberty: from 9 months.

Mating season: not limited in time.

Pregnancy: 5-6 months.

Number of cubs: 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: Vampire bats (see photo) are nocturnal animals that live in colonies of an average of 100 individuals.

What it eats: the blood of warm-blooded animals, mainly domestic animals such as cows and birds.

Lifespan: in nature up to 9 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The white-winged and bushy-footed vampires also belong to the vampire family.

How vampire bats drink blood. Video (00:02:49)

Vampire bats are bats whose source of nutrition is blood. Unlike fruit-eating bats, vampires have a short, conical snout and no nasal plate. And the tip of the nose is equipped with special infrared receptors that allow them to find the place on the victim’s body where the blood flows closest to the skin. Vampire mice typically have small ears and a short tail. Their front teeth are well adapted for cutting skin, and their back teeth are much smaller than those of other species. The part of the bat's brain that processes sound is well suited to detect the uniform sound of the breathing of sleeping animals, whose blood is their main source of nutrition.

Little vampire, no size more mouse, creates serious problems livestock breeders Latin America. An ordinary vampire that feeds on blood is a carrier of rabies. In addition, fly larvae develop in ulcers on the bodies of animals that appear at the site of vampire bites.

REPRODUCTION

Bats ordinary vampires differ from similar-sized mammals in the way they reproduce. They live a long time, reach sexual maturity late, and females, after pregnancy, which lasts 5-6 months, each time bring only one cub. The cub of an ordinary vampire is born blind and helpless. Spends the first days of its life on its mother's belly. However, the child grows quickly and soon becomes so heavy that the mother, flying off to hunt, leaves him in the shelter. At the age of one week, the cub's eyes open, and at three weeks it is already able to make its first flight.

LIFESTYLE

Ordinary vampires live in huge colonies, which often number up to 2000 individuals. During the day, they sleep in the hollows of old trees or in caves, hanging upside down. At dusk, these bats fly out to hunt. Pregnant females and females with cubs emerge a little earlier than males. Sometimes vampires leave the shelter later, under cover of darkness, fearing their enemies - the night predators. Another reason for the late departure of vampires is that by this time pets have time to fall into deep sleep and do not notice their approach. On bright moonlit nights, when the herds are left to graze in the meadow, vampires prefer to hide in the shelter. It is possible that vampires find herds of cows and other domestic animals, guided by previously accumulated experience.

Sometimes vampire mice change their habits and fly away in search of new food sources that are closer to their places of residence. Vampires in flight stay near river beds and gorges. On open area they navigate better than in the forest.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Vampire bats usually choose weak animals or those that have separated from the crowd as victims in a herd of cows, pigs or horses. Having chosen a victim and circling over it for a short time in the air, an ordinary vampire descends to the ground nearby. Using a special organ located near the nostrils, the vampire determines the temperature of various parts of the animal's body and looks for the place where the blood vessels pass close to the surface of the skin.

He sneaks up very carefully and silently, so the victim does not even suspect the danger that threatens him. The vampire cuts off the skin in the chosen place with incisors and makes grooves in the wound with sharp fangs. Vampires make cuts, usually in the neck and shoulders, as well as on the rump and near the joints.

Vampire saliva contains an enzyme that relieves pain and at the same time prevents blood clotting. It penetrates the wound, which then bleeds for a long time, allowing the vampire to lick off the oozing blood. The vampire carries out all the actions he needs in literally a matter of seconds.

VAMPIRE AND HUMAN

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DID YOU KNOW THAT...

• Vampire bats are more likely to attack calves than adult cows - calves sleep more and have thinner skin.
• They say that vampires drink the blood of people who, upon awakening, notice wounds.
• Bats navigate in space using radiation and perception of high-frequency sound signals, thanks to this, vampires can fly in the dark, avoiding collisions with obstacles.
• In the past, ordinary vampires fed only on the blood of wild animals, but today they often attack livestock.

VAMPIRE EATING SKILLS

Vampires feed exclusively on the blood of mammals, mainly ungulates, which they drink from wounds - areas of skin cut off by sharp incisors on the neck, ears, back and joints of animals, where blood vessels pass close to the surface.

A vampire's tongue has two grooves along which blood alternately flows. Blood enters the mouth along the forked lower lip. Vampire saliva contains a special enzyme that prevents blood clotting. The daily blood requirement for an adult vampire is 22 ml - approximately 5 teaspoons.

- Habitat of an ordinary vampire bat

WHERE DOES HE LIVE?

The vampire inhabits tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina and Chile.

SAVE

Vampires cause serious damage to livestock. They are carriers of rabies and other dangerous diseases. Attempts to influence the number of vampires end in failure.

Scientists have found that bats are one of the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, because they have been living on Earth for almost 50 million years! Their ancestors, known as Icaronicteris, were practically no different from modern species. Scientists have not been able to understand how mice developed the ability to fly, but for now they assume that they originated from insectivores that lived their lives in trees.

Appearance

Representatives different types may differ in size and color, but any bat looks so distinctive that it is simply impossible to confuse it with another animal.

Its body is covered with short fur, which has a lighter shade on its abdomen. The wingspan varies from 15 centimeters to 2 meters, their shape can differ significantly, but the structure always remains the same.

The bat has well-developed forelimbs, short strong shoulders and a very long forearm, which is formed by only one. It has very long fingers- of these, the largest one ends in a sharp hooked claw, and the rest serve to support the lateral membranes of the wings.

The length of the tail and the shape of the body can vary depending on the species of bat, but they all have a bony outgrowth, which is also called a spur. With its help, the animal's wings unfold all the way to the tail.

They fly using synchronized flapping of their membranous wings. And at rest, the wings are pressed tightly against the body.

Lifestyle

Although bats live in a variety of natural conditions, their habits are surprisingly similar - they lead exclusively night look life, and in daytime They sleep with their heads hanging down.

The bat prefers to live in large groups, loneliness is not to her taste.

These animals spend the winter in hibernation, hiding from the cold in secluded places and covering themselves with their wings, and warm time They have a year allotted for creating and feeding offspring.

Most often, the bat is found in caves, dark mountain crevices, tree hollows, and old uninhabited houses.

She spends most of her waking hours getting food, and uses her rest time to properly tidy herself up, clean her wings, abdomen and chest.

All bats have the natural gift of echolocation, thanks to which they can perfectly navigate in space and “see” even the thinnest wires and small ripples in the water raised by fish.

What do bats eat?

They mainly eat insects, but everyone has different taste preferences: some species love butterflies and midges, others love spiders and beetles, others hunt dragonflies, and some prey on wood larvae. They most often grab their prey on the fly, and some use their wings as a net, scooping up insects and sending them into their mouths.

It can also be carnivorous, but there are very few such species. They are used for food small rodents and small birds. There are also several species that catch and eat fish.

The image of a vampire bat also did not arise out of the blue: in South America there are species that feed exclusively on the blood of animals and humans. They make a small cut in the skin of their victim and suck out some of the blood. This is not at all fatal, and can only be dangerous because of the possibility of contracting rabies - as is known, the bat is a carrier of this disease.

So you shouldn’t be afraid of these animals at all - that’s all scary stories they are too exaggerated, if not invented.

Looking at the elegant and powerful vampires shown in feature films, viewers, as a rule, do not think about the physiological processes in their bodies. However, based on the anatomy and physiology of bloodsucking bats actually living on Earth, feeding on blood alone brings some inconvenience.

Vampires feed only on fresh blood large mammals, sometimes they even choose sleeping people as victims. When night falls, bloodsucking bats fly out of their caves. Like other representatives of the order Chiroptera, they use echolocation for orientation, although this ability is much less developed in them than in bats that feed on insects, and it is not surprising that it is much more difficult to detect a flying bug than a sleeping antelope or even a chicken.

When a flying vampire finds a victim, it quietly lands on it or on the ground nearby. Then, using infrared receptors, it finds areas of skin unprotected by hair or feathers: neck, comb, ears. With their needle-sharp teeth, vampires bite victims and inject saliva containing high levels of anesthetics and anticoagulants, one of which helped scientists create an effective cure for stroke. After a bite, blood can flow for 8 hours, although the vampire needs only 20-30 minutes to become saturated. During feeding, the animal drinks twice as much blood as it weighs about 60 ml.

To assimilate blood in bats, bloodsuckers do not need complex digestive system, a short esophagus and stomach with an intestinal outgrowth are enough for them. The sucked blood is easily absorbed in the stomach and after 2 minutes urine begins to be released, otherwise, having dined heavily, the animal would not be able to take off again. The urine of bloodsucking bats is, in fact, blood plasma, and each new portion is more and more concentrated, since the blood is very saturated with proteins, which are converted into urea during the feeding process.

The vampire body cannot starve for more than two days, then the animals often take turns sucking blood from a sleeping victim, while a small animal or bird can become the main dish at a dinner with fatal. Patching bloodsuckers often share the blood they drink with their fellows, while they pour their dinner from mouth to mouth. At the same time, the mice remember their benefactors and greedy people, and never later share food with the latter.

Despite the fact that vampires are capable of killing only small animals, they pose a serious danger to all their victims, as they transmit many dangerous infectious diseases, among which the most terrible is rabies. But even these creepy animals have served people well.

In 2003, scientists managed to create the drug desmoteplase, which entered the system of effective treatment of stroke. This medicine is a genetically modified enzyme in the saliva of bloodsucking bats. It is used for the prevention and treatment of acute circulatory disorders (strokes), since when it enters the blood, desmoteplase dissolves blood clots formed in the lumens of blood vessels, and at the same time does not affect other components of the circulatory system.

Bats are very useful creatures among us in nature. They consume thousands of insects every night, such as pesky mosquitoes. This is a great pest control option for summer picnics. But people also think poorly of them, mainly because they hide in attics and other dark areas of the house, resulting in structural damage and foul odors in their dining rooms.

Many people believe that they attack people, and some even fear that they will suck blood! This opinion is based primarily on rumors, as well as on the not very attractive appearance of these animals. Considering that they are nocturnal, ancient stories about Count Dracula involuntarily come to mind. But this is far from the truth. What you need to be wary of in this regard are blood-sucking insects like bedbugs. As for bats, they do not attack humans unless provoked. But still, there is one type of bat that feeds on blood. They are called vampire bats!

Diet

There are several various types vampire bat with hairy legs, and a white winged vampire. They all feed exclusively on blood and nothing else. But a person does not need to be afraid, since they do not feed on human blood, as shown in the movies. Instead, they consume the blood of other types of mammals. General type The vampire bat prefers the blood of cows and horses, while the other two species feed mainly on the blood of pigs, goats and birds.

Production

Vampire bats always approach their prey from the ground and hunt dark night. They crawl onto their prey and make a small bite with their razor-sharp teeth above the vein. While blood oozes from the small bite they made, they feast on the blood for up to thirty minutes. Animals that are subjected to such bites sometimes do not even notice them, since they are not in pain. Bats have a special chemical in their saliva that acts as an anticoagulant. chemical substance prevents blood from clotting while the bat feeds. Bats also have a special sensor in their nose that detects heat, allowing them to easily find a reliable vein in their prey.

Troubles and problems

If you have problems with bats or other animals, it is recommended that you call a contractor who can provide professional pest removal and management services. Professionals are typically licensed, equipped, and trained to safely and humanely remove bat nuisances.

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