For These Vampires, A Shared Blood Meal Lets 'Friendship' Take Flight
Common vampire bats might drink the blood of their prey, but it turns out that these fearsome beasts can be warm and fuzzy when it comes to their fellow bats.
Vampire bats might have a nasty reputation because of the way they ruthlessly drink their victims' blood, but these bloodthirsty beasts can be both generous and loyal when it comes to their fellow bats.
Captive common vampire bats will share their food with hungry bat companions, and forge such a bond that they continue to hang out with these buddies once they're released back to the wild, according to a newly published study in the journal Current Biology.
"Bats are very maligned, and vampire bats are the of The Ohio State University, who is also a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. "What I study about them often makes people think about them in a more positive light."
