Vampire Bats V2

Vampire bats

Goals for today's classWho they are?How many species are there?Their main adaptations

Cenia Almazán

Sources

Videos

Scientitic papers

Science comunication magazine

Flight to the better option to know more about bats and vampire bats

Ramirez-Fráncel et al., 2021. Bats and their vital ecosystem services: a global review

Riskin & Carter, 2023. The evolution of sanguivory in vampire bats: origins and convergences.

Introduction

What is people's perception of bats?

The roles are different but the impacts are positive.

Bats are cute!

Control pest insect populations. Pollinate differents planst including the agaves to make mezcal and tequila. Disperse the seeds and help regrows places like tropical forests.

Thompson et al., 2014; Sotomayor-Bonilla et al., 2014; Machain-Williams et al., 2013; Aguilar-Setién et al., 2008; Calisher et al., 2006; Aguilar-Setién et al., 2005.

More than 1400 species of bats

Introduction

Source: Hulton Archive | Getty Images

Bram Stoker

Vampire bats are exclusive to the Americas

How vampire bats arrive to Europe?

More than 200 film adaptations

Bats are good!

What made them the villains?

The common vampire batDesmodus rotundus

The real vampires

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat Diphylla ecaudata

White-winged Vampire Bat Diaemus youngi

Riskin & Carter, 2023. The evolution of sanguivory in vampire bats: origins and convergences.

Source: Hulton Archive | Getty Images

NOSE

All three vampire bat species have specialized heat-sensing pits on their noses, which are used to detect the warmth of blood vessels in their prey's skin, helping them locate feeding sites.

MOUTH AND TEETH

WINGS

Their wings are adapted for flight, allowing them to access their prey and escape predators. They are the only mammals that can fly.

SALIVA

Vampire bats have specialized salivary glands that produce anticoagulants, enzymes that prevent the blood from clotting while they feed. This allows them to obtain a continuous blood flow from their prey.

KIDNEYS

Vampire bats have highly efficient kidneys that help them process the large amounts of liquid from blood consumption while excreting concentrated waste to conserve water.

STOMACH

Vampire bats have stomachs that can stretch significantly to accommodate the large volume of blood they ingest during a meal.

LIGHT SKELETON

To facilitate flight, vampire bats have lightweight skeletons with relatively thin bones compared to their body size. This reduces the energy required for flying.

STRONG MUSCLES

Vampire bats have strong flight muscles that enable them to carry the extra weight from a blood meal.

CLAWS

These claws are also helpful for climbing, allowing them to move on their prey while feeding.

Metabolic AdaptationsRapid DigestionHigh Metabolic RateConcentrated Urine

Vampire bats have adaptations in their digestive systems that allow them to quickly process the nutrients from blood. This rapid digestion is essential for extracting energy from their liquid diet efficiently. To support their energy demands and the processing of blood, vampire bats have a relatively high metabolic rate compared to other bat species. Vampire bats produce concentrated urine to conserve water, as blood itself is a liquid diet. This adaptation helps them maintain water balance in their bodies.

Social Adaptations Regurgitation and altruistic behavior.Roosting and grooming

In times of need, vampire bats are known to regurgitate blood to share with roost-mates that may have been unsuccessful in obtaining a meal. This social sharing of blood is crucial for the survival of the colony. Vampire bats often live in large colonies, roosting together in caves or trees. Social grooming and cooperation in food-sharing can help mitigate the spread of diseases.

MICROBIOME

Vampire bats have a gut microbiome that aids in digestion and nutrient absorption. Research into the gut microbiome of vampire bats could shed light on how they process the blood they consume.

Immunological adaptationsPathogen resistance

Vampire bats can be exposed to a variety of blood-borne pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, through their feeding behavior. They have immune systems that are adapted to deal with potential infections that could arise from their blood meals.

Behavioral adaptationsNocturnalMaternal careCrawling or walking

Vampire bats are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night when their prey, such as birds and mammals, are resting and easier to access. Vampire bats engage in alloparenting, where females within the colony help raise each other's offspring. This behavior allows mothers to leave their pups in the care of other colony members while they forage for blood. When on the ground, vampire bats may resort to crawling to get access to their preys.

Biological adaptations

Riskin & Carter, 2023. The evolution of sanguivory in vampire bats: origins and convergences.

Vampire bats ecological role?

Thanks!

Fuente gif: Roberto Hangosi, OhMyGoodness.com

contacto: cenia.almazan@tec.mx

Let's practice

Vampire bats have sharp, elongated incisors specialized for making small, precise incisions through which they can access blood vessels. Vampire bats don't exactly suck blood instead they drink blood using the physics of capillary action where a liquid can move through a narrow tube or cylindrical space often against the downward of gravity. They have special grooves on their tongue which with their lower lip and incisors can create a tube like shape that easily whisk up the liquid.