Fauna Journal Entry

Vampire Bats Attack in Brazil (April 12, 2004)

Brazilian officials say at least thirteen people died last month from the bites of rabies-carrying vampire bats. The attacks took place in the small town of Portel in the northern state of Para in the Amazon basin. A total of about 300 people have been attacked in the area.

Government scientists say deforestation and habitat loss are to blame for the increase in bat attacks. Because so many trees have been cut down in the Amazon rainforest, vampire bats have been forced to change their migrational patterns. This in turn has changed their feeding habits. The bats normally feed on the blood of large birds and cattle. But loss of forest habitat has pushed them into closer and more frequent contact with people.

Vampire bats are thumb-sized mammals with a wingspan of about eight inches (20 centimeters). They are found in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. There's no truth to the myth that they suck the blood of their victims. Instead, they make tiny cuts in the skin of the victim with their sharp teeth. The bats' saliva contains a chemical that keeps the blood from clotting. They lap up the blood as it oozes from the wound.

Usually, vampire bats select victims that are asleep. Another chemical in the saliva numbs the victim's skin and keeps it from waking up.

Flying a few feet over the ground, the bats use echolocation, smell, and sound to help find their prey. Special heat sensors in their noses help them zero in on blood vessels that are close to the skin.