The hairy-legged vampire bat ( Diphylla ecaudata) is one of three extant species of . It mainly feeds on the blood of wild birds, but can also feed both on domestic birds and humans.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described by German biologist Johann Baptist von Spix in 1823.
Spix first encountered the species in Brazil.
Spix coined the genus name
Diphylla () and the species name
ecaudata ().
The two recognized subspecies are:
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Diphylla ecaudata centralis is found from western Panama to Mexico. A single specimen was taken in an abandoned railroad tunnel near Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, in 1967, well outside the taxon's recognized range.
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Diphylla ecaudata ecaudata is found from Brazil and eastern Peru to eastern Panama.
Description
It is similar in appearance to the common vampire bat.
It differs, however, in its broad, short ears; padless, short thumb; and large, shiny eyes.
It also has more teeth than the common vampire bat (26 compared to 18), with a dental formula of .
Additionally, its brain is smaller than that of the common vampire bat, at two-thirds the size by mass.
Its uropatagium is narrow and very furry; as its species name indicates, it lacks a tail.
The fur on its back is dark brown, while the fur on its ventral surface is lighter in color.
Its fur is soft and long.
Its
nose-leaf is greatly reduced in size relative to other
Phyllostomidae.
It weighs .
Its head and body combined are long.
Its forearm is long.
There are no lingual grooves under the tongue as in Desmodus and Diaemus (the white-winged vampire bat), but it does have a groove along the roof of the mouth which may serve as a "blood gutter".
Biology and behavior
It is thought to be polyestrous, with individuals capable of becoming pregnant throughout the year and no clearly defined
Seasonal breeder.
Females are capable of becoming pregnant at approximately one year of age.
Pregnancy lasts a relatively long time considering the small body size of the species, at gestation length of approximately 5.5 months.
Females give birth to usually only one young, called a pup.
Pups are born with their eyes open and a set of
deciduous teeth.
There are fewer deciduous teeth than permanent teeth (20 compared to 26), with a deciduous dental formula of
Females who have lost their pups will continue to lactate, and females have been observed
allomothering.
Pups will
fledge at approximately 57 days old, though they will continue to nurse and seek regurgitated blood from their mothers long after that, up until approximately 223 days of age.
It is nocturnal, and roosts in sheltered areas during the day.
Caves and mines are preferred roosts, though hollow trees may also be used.
It is Hematophagy, feeding on the blood of vertebrates.
It was formerly believed to feed exclusively on , including Chicken.
Range and habitat
It has a wide geographic range, occurring throughout Central and South America.
It has been documented in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
A single individual was once documented in southern
Texas in the United States.
This individual, a female found close to Comstock, Texas in 1967, was in an abandoned railroad tunnel.
The individual was approximately north of the previous documented extent of the species's range.
Its altitudinal range is .
Conservation
It is currently evaluated as least-concern species by the IUCN—the lowest conservation priority.
It meets the criteria for this designation because it has a large range, tolerates a variety of habitats, and its population is thought to be stable.
It can be maintained in captivity by allowing them access to live hens.
See also
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Common vampire bat—one of the two other extant species of vampire bat
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White-winged vampire bat—one of the two other extant species of vampire bat
