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Sebastian Stockmaier, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee

Vampire bats – look beyond the fangs and blood to see animal friendships and unique adaptations

SHERRI Moment
Vampire bats have complex social relationships. Samuel Betkowski/Moment via Getty Images

You can probably picture a vampire: Pale, sharply fanged undead sucker of blood, deterred only by sunlight, religious paraphernalia and garlic. They’re gnarly creatures, often favorite subjects for movies or books. Luckily, they’re only imaginary … or are they?

There are real vampires in the world of bats. Out of over 1,400 currently described bat species, three are known to feed on blood exclusively.

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