Vampire Bat

These little fellows (their body is only about the size of a human thumb!) are native to Central and South America. They're nocturnal, which means they only come out at night. During the day they sleep in places that are pitch dark all the time; caves, abandoned buildings, hollow trees, and so on. They're pretty social too: they live in colonies with thousands of their friends. You might have already guessed what they're famous for: they're one of only three species of bats who DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE LIVING! This fact has fascinated and horrified many people, including Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, who first introduced the idea of a vampire who could take the form of a bat.

They use their sharp front teeth to puncture the skin of animals, then lap up the blood with their pointy tongues. Their saliva contains a special chemical called an anticoagulant, which stops blood from clotting so that the bat can be sure of a square meal. They feed mostly on domestic animals like sheep, cows, horses, and chickens, but they've been known to take human blood if they can get it. The bat doesn't usually drink enough blood to harm its host, but vampire bats are a common carrier of diseases like rabies, so their bites can still be deadly!