KM Viray
9. Vampire Bat
Which came first, Dracula or the bat? The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) got its name because of its diet. Their food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy or the practice of certain animals like mosquitoes and leeches to feed on blood.
Like most bats, common vampire bats emerge to hunt during the darkest part of the night. Sleeping cattle and horses are their usual victims, but they have been known to feed on people as well. The bats drink their victim’s blood for about 30 minutes. They don’t remove enough blood to harm their host, but their bites can cause infections and disease.
What’s even more creepy about these animals is that they don’t go straight at their prey and attack. They actually fly and land near their would-be victim and slowly creep towards it on all fours. They use sensors to find where in the body blood is flowing well and use razor sharp teeth to puncture the skin of their prey.
