Vampire bats got a bum rap in their association with Halloween and all things spooky and sinister. That reputation has been extended to all bats, which seldom, if ever, morph into immortal bloodsuckers.
Most bats don’t drink blood at all. Only one type of bat, the vampire bat, drinks blood, but it (most likely) won’t drink yours. They typically are not found in California, being native to Mexico and Central and South America.
There are three species of vampire bats, according to Corky Quirk, founder of Northern California Bats.
They don’t suck blood – rather they make a small incision with their sharp teeth then lap up the blood. Yeah, I know, not much better. The good news is they feed on blood from cows, pigs, horses, and birds. But in a pinch, they’ll bite humans for blood (which is why we said "most likely").
Sucking blood isn’t all vampire bats are known for, however. Unlike some bat species, vampire bats can walk, run and jump; adaptations that help them with their unique feeding needs, according to National Geographic.
Although vampires supposedly can exist without blood indefinitely, vampire bats can only go without blood for a couple nights in a row. However, female bats are often generous to hungry fellow bats, and will regurgitate blood for them to share.
Other admirable qualities of vampire bats is they are known to care for new (bat) mothers, and they will adopt baby bats who have lost their mothers.
“They are one of the few species of mammals that will adopt a non-related infant who has lost its mother,” Quirk said.
In addition, scientists are studying the anticoagulant in its saliva to develop a treatment to break blood clots in humans, she said.
Which came first, the vampire or the vampire bat?
Vampire bats are named for the creature of traditional Eastern European folklore after which Bram Stoker named Dracula, the eponymous monster of his 1897 novel.
Vampires and vampire bats
The Sacramento area has a number of bat species, none of which drink blood, Quirk said. Although bats and their (unearned) sinister associations might put some people off, they are valuable to farmers for pollination and pest control – bats like the Mexican freetail eat a prodigious quantity of bugs in their nightly excursions.
And it is highly unlikely a low-flying bat will entangle itself in your hair, as some fear, Quirk said. Bats have radar as well as good eyesight, making them precision flyers.
When people have been exposed to bats, they usually change their tune, she said. Seeing their faces and experiencing their personalities wins them over.
“Their temperament is quite calm,” Quirk said.
Speaking of scary things at Halloween: