Vampire bats are bat species that feed solely on blood. There are three species found in the Americas, and they primarily feed on cattle, horses, pigs, and birds. They use their sharp teeth to cut through skin and lick up blood.
Vampire bats are bat species that use blood as their only food source. There are actually three species of vampire bats, all native to the Americas: Desmodus rotundus, or the common vampire bat; Diaemus youngi, or the white-winged vampire bat; and Diphylla ecaudata, or the hairy-legged vampire bat. These bats got their common names from the bloodsucking vampires of legend. Although bats were discovered during the 16th century, their popular name didn’t come into common use until the 18th century, when stories about vampires began to proliferate in the Americas.
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All three vampire bat species are found primarily in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
Although vampires are said to feed primarily on human blood, vampire bats tend to feed on the blood of cattle, horses, pigs, and birds. However, there are recorded cases of these bats attacking humans.
A vampire bat does not actually use fangs and sucks the blood from its victims in the manner of the vampires of legend. Instead, bats use their razor-sharp teeth to cut through the skin and then lick up the blood as it flows from the victim.
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