Dracula Bat (Vampire Bat)

                        THE DRACULA BAT

Features 

As you can see in the picture above the Vampire bat is very tiny. That is because they rarely grow. They are just a tiny bit larger than an adult human thumb. Vampire bats are long and have finger-like bones that are covered with a thin layer of skin. They have a thumb claw in the front of their wing that pokes out, it is used for gripping on their prey/host. They have strong limbs which lets them walk on the ground. Vampire bat's fur is a dark brown to grey color with a lighter color on the inside. Vampire bats use echolocation to determine their surroundings.

Habitat

Vampire bats are found throughout the top of Argentina all the way to Mexico. They live in tropical and subtropical regions. Vampire bats can adapt to both humid weather and dry weather. Many bats that live in the tropical and subtropical regions are nocturnal, that includes Vampire bats. Vampire bats spend their daylight hours in hollow trees, mines, and caves. Vampire bats are losing their habitat due to deforestation.

Diet

To find their prey Vampire bats use their echolocation, smell, and sound. Their prey can be up to 10,000 times the size they are. When they fly towards their prey they never land on them but land on the ground and climb up to them. They are able to detect veins closest to their skin's surface with precision due to their heat-sensoring nose. They use their sharp fangs to bite into their prey's skin and dive back in case the host wakes up. Vampire bats do not suck their hosts' blood but lick it when it comes out of the cut. Their saliva stops their prey's blood from clotting and it makes the area where the bat bites it numb so their prey doesn't feel anything.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Vampire bats can mate year-round. Vampire bats have a longer gestation period than other species of small tropic bats. After three to four months females give birth to an individual baby. She cares for the baby for about three to five months. Pups drink their mother's milk until they are able to consume adult diets. Females are very caring mothers and they are known for adopting orphaned pups. Vampire bats can live up to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Thank you for reading, I hope you discovered a lot about Vampire bats. If you have any questions about them just write them in the comments. Please tell your friends and family about my blog so I can spread the understanding of all animals. If you want to learn fun facts about Vampire bats go to my youtube channel, the link will be down below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbTQoiVW9WLU0Tj9ChW9eaA