Desmodontinae
| Desmodontinae | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Sub-class | Theriiformes |
| Order Information | |
| Superorder | Laurasiatheria |
| Order | Chiroptera |
| Sub-order | Microchiroptera |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Noctilionoidea |
| Family | Phyllostomidae |
| Sub-family | Desmodontinae |
| Population statistics | |
Desmodontinae is a subfamily of bats, consisting of three genera and three species commonly called vampire bats due to their diet of blood, and are native to tropical areas of Central and South America. Contrary to popular belief, these bats rarely attack humans; they may occasionally feed on human blood due to habitat fragmentation and loss, or in the absence of their usual prey. They also feed on small insects such as mosquitoes.
The three species are very different from each other, which is why they have been placed in different genera. These three genera were originally grouped together in the family Desmodontidae, but their similarity to other bats in the family Phyllostomidae has led modern taxonomy to consider Desmodontidae as a subfamily of Phyllostomidae. Proponents of evolution claim that the three species had a common ancestor due to being grouped in the same region; creationists insist the vampire bat was created by an act of God some 6,000 years ago.
Description
Vampire bats have a short, conical snout with a slightly leaf-shaped skin folds around its nose; research has determined that these folds are equipped with an infrared sensor similar to pit viper snakes, enabling the bat to find warm-blooded prey in complete blackness[1][2]. Their incisors are specially designed for cutting flesh, and their molars are less developed than those of their fruit-eating counterparts. Their digestive system is also adapted to their liquid diet. The saliva of these bats contains a substance, draculin[3], which has anticoagulant properties. Contrary to popular belief, the vampire laps blood rather than sucks it.
Vampire bats are nocturnal. The common vampire bat feeds on the blood of large mammals such as cattle, while the hairy-legged vampire bat and the white-winged vampire bat feeds on the blood of birds and goats. When the bat spots prey (a sleeping animal), it lands and approaches along the ground. Recent studies show that it can then reach a speed of 1.2 meters per second.
Species
- Common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus
- Hairy-legged vampire bat, Diphylla ecaudata
- White-winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi
Vampire bats generally live in very dark places like caves or basements. Colonies can number up to a thousand individuals. They may nest with other bat species, but not close toether. They require blood at least once every few days. If one of them is unable to obtain a blood supply, it will approach a fellow bat and beg for blood. This exchange, in the form of mouth-to-mouth contact, resembles a long kiss.
The vampire bat is a major vector of rabies, which, in addition to its danger to humans, is responsible for the death of several thousand farm animals in tropical and subtropical America.
