What vampire bats do for their closest friends
CBC
When we think of vampire bats, friendship and co-operation may not be the qualities that come to mind for these blood-feasting creatures of the night. But maybe they should.
Scientists on Thursday provided a deeper understanding of social relationships among vampire bats, showing how those that have forged bonds akin to "friendships" with others will rendezvous with these buddies while foraging for a meal.
Researchers attached small devices to 50 vampire bats to track nighttime foraging in Panama, when these flying mammals drink blood from wounds they inflict upon cattle in pastures. The study involved female bats, known to have stronger social relationships than males.
Among the bats were 23 wild-born individuals that had been kept in captivity for about two years during related research into bat social behaviours. Social bonds already had been observed among some of them. After being released back into the wild, the bats were found to often join a "friend" during foraging, possibly co-ordinating the hunt.
"Each bat maintains its own network of close co-operative social bonds," said behavioural ecologist Gerald Carter of the Ohio State University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, who led the research published in the journal PLoS Biology.
Social bonds among vampire bats as they roost in trees include grooming one another and regurgitating blood meals for hungry pals. The study showed that the social bonds formed in roosts extended into the hunt.
"This study opens up an exciting new window into the social lives of these animals," Carter said.
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Rachelle and Kelly Swan live in a relatively cramped space now. But the upside to their rented low-income government house is that it's away from the haunting site their family occupied for two years, filled with screeches, high-pitched chirps and squeaks from constantly flapping bats.