Penguins, Falcons, and Mountain Lions: The Extraordinary Host Diversity of Vampire Bats

Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), white-winged vampire bats (Diaemus youngi), and hairy-legged vampire bats (Diphylla ecaudata) are the only obligate blood-feeding mammals. Despite being parasites, vampire bats can also be viewed as opportunistic hunters, because they can feed on a surprising diversity of animals. Here, we review the evidence for this host diversity in vampire bats as determined through several methods: precipitin tests, stable isotope analyses, DNA sequencing, camera traps, captive experiments, and field observations. Diphylla shows the strongest preference for birds, whereas Diaemus prefers birds but will also feed on mammals; Desmodus, in contrast, shows a preference for mammals, although is capable of feeding on a surprising variety of vertebrates, including mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and lizards. Future topics of inquiry include understanding how the host preferences of each species vary across geographic regions and how host selection by individual bats might depend on social information.