Bats of the United States and Canada

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat, Diphylla ecaudata

188 bats of the united states and canada HAIRY-LEGGED VAMPIRE BAT Diphylla ecaudata Accidental–United States Weight is 24–43 grams (0.8–1.5 ounces); wingspan is 37–45 centimeters (15–18 inches). The species is known from only one record in the United States. In 1967, a hairy-legged vampire bat was observed in an abandoned railroad tunnel in Val Verde County, Texas. The species occurs across eastern Mexico to southern Brazil. It breeds in all seasons, usually producing a single young each year. At birth, the eyes are open and deciduous teeth are present. Habitats occupied are tropical and subtropical, with roosts nearly exclusively in caves and mines, rarely in hollow trees. It is solitary and does not form groups even when many individuals occupy the same cave. However, it may share food by mouth-to-mouth regurgitation. Of the three species of vampire bats, the hairy-legged vampire bat has the most specialized diet, consuming only blood of birds. When feeding on domestic chickens, these bats land on the back of the chicken, move to the posterior part of the bird, and bite the bird in the anal region or lower leg. Chickens seem to be relatively undisturbed by this, but may peck at the bats to remove them. The teeth of this vampire bat may be so sharp that its prey usually does not feel its bite, saliva of the bat may contain an anesthetic, or both. An anticoagulant helps keep the blood flowing; the tongue is grooved so that the bat ingests blood in a manner similar to sucking on a straw. ...