Fauna Journal Entry

More Bat Attacks Reported in Brazil (December 6, 2005)

Brazilian officials say at least 23 people died from the bites of rabies-carrying vampire bats over the past two months. The attacks took place in the northern part of the country in the Amazon Basin. In recent years, hundreds of people have been attacked by the bats in the area.

Vampire bats are thumb-sized mammals with a wingspan of about eight inches (twenty centimeters). They're common in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

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 contact with people.

There's no truth to the myth that vampire bats 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.

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 close to the skin. Vampire bats select victims that are asleep. Another chemical in the saliva numbs the skin, which helps keep the victim from waking.