Scientists figure out how vampire bats got a taste for blood

[Jilly_in_VA]

Scientists have figured out why vampire bats are the only mammals that can survive on a diet of just blood.

They compared the genome of common vampire bats to 26 other bat species and identified 13 genes that are missing or no longer work in vampire bats. Over the years, those gene tweaks helped them adapt to a blood diet rich in iron and protein but with minimal fats or carbohydrates, the researchers reported Friday in the journal Science Advances.

The bats live in South and Central America and are basically “living Draculas,” said co-author Michael Hiller of Germany’s Max Planck Institute. About 3 inches (8 centimeters) long with a wingspan of 7 inches (18 centimeters), the bats bite and than lap up blood from livestock or other animals at night.

Most mammals couldn’t survive on a low-calorie liquid diet of blood. Only three vampire species of the 1,400 kinds of bats can do that — the others eat mostly insects, fruit, nectar, pollen or meat, such as small frogs and fish

https://apnews.com/article/vampire-bats-blood-diet-313676c715465fd48192fa9f8ce2c39d

[jfz9580m]

1. ...

With such a low-calorie diet, vampire bats can’t go long without a meal. In a pinch, well-fed ones will regurgitate their food to share with a starving neighbor. They seem to keep track of who has helped them in the past, said Hiller, noting that vampire bats have complex social relationships.

That is almost sweet ..in a gross sort of way ;-/ ...

[cstanleytech]

2. So, they feed each other by regurgitating? Almost Republican of them though of course

to be truly Republican they would have to be willing to let the young suffer and starve to death.

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. Lots of animals do

although it's usually adults feeding their young. And the vampire bats only do it if they see someone hungry. It's like sharing the wealth, which is much more Democratic, even socialistic.

I find bats to be fascinating little (and not so little!) creatures. My friend Beth calls them "mice with pilot's licenses". Not so far from their German name of "Fledermaus".