BLOGPOST 7: Vampire Bats

There are an innumerous amount of animal species in the world. They allhave adapted and evolved to survive in their surroundings. Some have grown fins, others legs, and still others wings. One of the animals that has grown wings is the bat. The bat is a truly great creature. It has all the characteristics of mammals while also possessing the skill in flight of a bird. There are more than 800 species of bats in the world. They are of manydifferent sizes, shapes, and lifestyles. They live all over the world and have drawn the curiosity of millions. Bats also have the unique quality of echolocation that it uses to catch insects. Though other mammals, like the flying squirrel seem to fly but actually glide the bat is the only mammal that can truly fly We all know that Vampires are associated with bats because they have similarities. We also see in movies that some vampires are turning into a bat for them to fly and go to places they wanted to go. 

I've read the article of Rilwan Oladipupo, "Vampire Bat" from the site a-z-animals. The Vampire Bat is a small species of Bat, native to the tropics of Central and South America. Vampire Bats have perfectly adapted to the consumption of their only food source, with a leaf-like heat sensor on the end of their nose which detects where the warm blood is flowing closest to the skin. The Vampire Bat is quite a small animal, with it's body rarely growing larger than the size of ahuman thumb. It's wings are long, finger-like bones that are covered in a thin layer of skin, with a thumb claw that pokes out of the front and is used for grip when clambering about on their host.

About the Vampire Bat's Behaviour and Lifestyle, after sleeping upside in the darkness all day, Vampire Bats emerge when the moon appears in order to hunt for food. Despite being incredibly strong fliers, the design of their arms and legs means that they can also move about on the ground with surprising speed and agility. After between 3 and 4 months, the female Vampire Bat gives birth to a single baby which she cares for until it is weaned at between 3 and 5 months of age. Those bat babies born in captivity are weaned noticeably later, when they are 9 months old. 

Large, sharp-eyedBirds Of Prey such as Hawks and Eagles are the most common predators of the Vampire Bat, along with Snakes that hunt the Bats in their dark caverns while they are sleeping during the day. Humans though are one of their biggest threats, mainly farmers that are known to poison the Bats that commonly feed on their livestock. When it comes on how Vampire Bats feed, exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, drinking up to a teaspoon (25ml) of blood per 30 minute feed. Once having feasted on their host however, theBats are then so bloated that they can barely fly with their weight almost having doubled.

According to Rilwan Oladipupo, "Vampire Bat is one of the only Bat species that is considered a pest by Humans."  I always had a hard time understanding why it was supposedly such a curse to be a vampire. The vampire has been a mysterious and enticing figure since its entrance into popular culture. And even in centuries vampires are more likely into bats. Some bats have developed special ways of adapting to their surroundings just like how we see vampires. 

I read another article written by Alok Jha, "Vampire bats can sense the heat of blood flowing in the veins of their prey" from the site theguardian. Scientists have discovered Vampire bats use infrared sensors on their lips to locate blood vessels in their prey. The specialised nerve cells are similar to the pain-sensing cells in the human tongue, skin and eyes, which allow us to sense the sting of chilli peppers and high temperatures. Vampire bats are the only mammals known to feed entirely on blood, and they need a daily supply to survive. They have excellent hearing and eyesight and use high-pitched calls to help them navigate. Biologists have known for some time that the bats can detect blood vessels from up to 20cm away, but it was not clear how they did it quickly enough to strike and retreat without alerting their prey.

According to  Alok Jha, "Scientists have found that vampire bats have infrared-sensing 'pit organs' that they use to detect blood vessels in prey animals." For some time, people thought that bats were more closely related to rodents because of their anatomical features. Ancient vampires were loosely described as human forms that turned into large birds. The undead were believed to have two hearts and two souls, one of each died and the other would exist forever, giving vampires eternal life.