I’d like to tell you about vampire bats and where they live. It is now one of the most common mammals in Eastern Mexico. It is also the most wide spread mammal and ranges from Northern Mexico southward to Chile, central Aregenta and Uruguay on the continents of North and South America (“Vampire Bat” 2624). It lives where there is food and darkness, such as a farm (Julivert 16). It likes to roost in caves, crevices, and holes in trees (Julivert 16). That’s where a vampire bat lives.

    A vampire bat stands out in a lot of ways. First it feeds exclusively on the blood of birds and mammals (Julivert 24). The Common Vampire Bat is very timid and will jump like a frog at any sign of danger, but it can also walk like a monkey (Julivert 24). A vampire bat bite can be deadly; it is a carrier of rabies and other diseases  (“Vampire Bat” 2625). Most of them are 2 ½ - 3 ½ inches long and have a wingspan of 8 inches (“Vampire Bat” 2625). They have no tail, their ears are small and pointed, they have a short snout, and vampire bats have only 20 teeth (“Vampire Bat” 2625). That’s how vampire bats stand out.

    A vampire bat has a very interesting way of feeding. Of course it hunts at night, and it flys low searching for its victim (Julivert 24). When it finds its victim it eases toward it quickly and quietly (Julivert 24). Occasionally it will land on its victim to look for a spot without much hair (Julivert 24). They use echolocation to find their victim (“Vampire Bat” 2625). It uses its sharp teeth to make a small cut and licks the wound (Julivert 24). It has a special formula in its saliva that keeps the blood flowing to the wound (Julivert 24). They usually need about 2 teaspoons of blood a day (Birmingham Zoo 1 of 2). They have a grooved, strong tongue and a lower lip shaped like a V. These two parts make a sort of tube used to suck blood (“Vampire Bat” 2624). That’s a vampire bats interesting way of eating.

    This is how vampire bats breed and live. The female bat has 1 baby after a gestation of 90-120 days (“Vampire Bat” 2625). Rarely, there is more than 1 birth (“Vampire Bat” 2625). They breed all year, and unlike most bats, vampire bats young stay home while their mother is out foraging (“Vampire Bat” 2625). They may reach 20 years of age at the most (Birmingham Zoo 1 of 2). They live in colonies of 100-120(Birmingham Zoo 1 of 2). That’s how a vampire bat breeds and lives.

    Vampire bats have been given a bad name by some horror movies. Most vampire bats are feared because of a mythical legend of the vampire. Although vampires are sometimes frightening the legend of vampires is false. Vampire bats have only one thing in common with a vampire and that is that they both feed of blood. The popular vampire, Dracula, has appeared in many horror movies and because of this some people fear vampire bats. That’s how vampire bats have been given a bad name.