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Will all bats try to suck blood from humans?

Last Updated: February 03, 2009

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No.

The majority of bats eat insects, drink nectar, or eat fruit. Only a few species of bats will suck blood and NONE OF THEM ARE FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES. The few species that do can be found in central and south America. They prefer to feed upon cattle, birds, and other mammals.

Vampire bats, as they are commonly called, occasionally attempt to get blood from humans when other prey is scarce or when they have been disturbed. Yet, none of their feeding is life threatening. They are typically very small bats and each one only drinks about 1 or 2 tablespoons of blood each day. They simply fly to a sleeping victim and make a small incision with their teeth. Their saliva has an anticoagulant in it which keeps the blood from clotting immediately. The bat then proceeds to lap up the blood from the wound with its tongue and usually leaves the animal completely uninjured.

Additional Sources
Bat Conservation International

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