The white-winged vampire bat (''Diaemus youngi''), a species of
vampire bat
Vampire bats, species of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are leaf-nosed bats found in Central and South America. Their food source is blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species feed solely on blood: the ...
, is the only member of the genus ''Diaemus''. They are found from
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
to northern
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and are present on the islands of
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
and
Margarita
A margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). ...
.
Etymology and taxonomy
The white-winged vampire bat was
described by Dutch zoologist
Fredericus Anna Jentink
Fredericus Anna Jentink (20 August 1844, Wymbritseradeel – 4 November 1913, Leiden)Fredericus Anna Jentink (1844 - 1913). In: Notes from the Leyden Museum Vol. 36, 1913. p 254 was a Dutch zoologist.
Biography
In 1875, he became curator at the ...
in 1893.
Dr. Charles Grove Young (1849–1934) is the
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
for the species name ''youngi''.
[Beolens, B., Watkins, M., & Grayson, M. (2009). ''The eponym dictionary of mammals''. JHU Press.]
Jentink decided to honor Young with the species name because "
our Museum is indebted
o him
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
for so many additions to its collections of the
British Guyana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
animals."
When it was described by Jentink in 1893, it was initially placed in the same
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
as the
common vampire bat
The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat ...
, ''Desmodus''. However, in 1907,
Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. placed it in a new genus, ''Diaemus''.
That move to a new genus was not immediately accepted, however, with authors continuing to place it in ''Desmodus'' until at least 1982.
[Honacki, J.H., K.E. Kinman, AND J.W. Koeppl. (1982). ''Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference''. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas.]
Description
Their fur is clay-colored, light brown, or dark cinnamon brown.
The outline of their wings is white, as well as the membrane between their second and third finger.
Their ears are longer than they are wide, at long.
The
anterior
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
surface of the
tragus is hairy, and its outer margin is smooth, unlike that of the
common vampire bat
The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat ...
, which is
serrated
Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied p ...
.
Their thumb is much shorter than that of the common vampire bat.
Their forearms are long.
The
calcar
The calcar, also known as the calcaneum, is the name given to a spur of cartilage arising from inner side of ankle and running along part of outer interfemoral membrane in bats, as well as to a similar spur on the legs of some arthropods.
The cal ...
is absent.
Their
dental formula
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...
is , for a total of 22 teeth; the common vampire bat has 20 teeth and the hairy-legged vampire bat 26, respectively.
It is the only bat species in the world with 22 teeth.
[Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's mammals of the world (Vol. 1). JHU Press.]
The last upper
molars
The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...
are
vestigial
Vestigiality is the retention, during the process of evolution, of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of the ancestral function in a given species. Assessment of the vestigiality must generally rely on co ...
, though, and older individuals sometimes lose them.
The
uropatagium
The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosau ...
and forearms are sparsely furred.
From nose to tail, they are approximately long.
[Greenhall, A. M., & Schutt, W. A. (1996). Diaemus youngi. Mammalian Species, (533), 1–7.]
They weigh .
Both males and females have cup-shaped
scent gland
Scent gland are exocrine glands found in most mammals. They produce semi-viscous secretions which contain pheromones and other semiochemical compounds. These odor-messengers indicate information such as status, territorial marking, mood, and sexu ...
s located in their mouths.
[Greenhall, A.M. and Schmidt, U., editors. (1988). ''Natural History of Vampire Bats'', CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. p. 122. ]
These glands might be an anti-predator defense, as the bats produce a foul-smelling odor from these glands when they are disturbed.
[Goodwin, G. G., & Greenhall, A. M. (1961). A review of the bats of Trinidad and Tobago: descriptions, rabies infection, and ecology (Vol. 122). American Museum of Natural History.]
Compared to other bats, their brains are especially large in relation to their body sizes—2.7–2.9% by body mass. This may be because their foraging strategy requires more complex thought (such as maintaining stealth) than other species.
Their eyes are also relatively large in relation to their body sizes.
Biology
Like other vampire bats, their saliva contains
plasminogen activator Plasminogen activators are serine proteases that catalyze the activation of plasmin via proteolytic cleavage of its zymogen form plasminogen. Plasmin is an important factor in fibrinolysis, the breakdown of fibrin polymers formed during blood clotti ...
s, which rapidly dissolves the host's blood clots that form during feeding;
platelet aggregation inhibitor
An antiplatelet drug (antiaggregant), also known as a platelet agglutination inhibitor or platelet aggregation inhibitor, is a member of a class of pharmaceuticals that decrease platelet aggregation and inhibit thrombus formation. They are effectiv ...
s, which prevent the formation of blood clots; and other
anticoagulant
Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...
s.
These compounds in their saliva are especially effective on birds.
Birds are their preferred prey source, but they will also prey on mammals such as goats and cattle.
While it can transmit
rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...
, this appears to be relatively uncommon: the only reports of rabies transmission from this species are from
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
.
[Constantine, D.C. (1988). "Transmission of pathogenic organisms by vampire bats", pp. 167–189, in ''Natural history of vampire bats''. A.M. Greenhall and U. Schmidt (eds.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. ]
They are not as adept as
common vampire bat
The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat ...
s at quadrupedal locomotion, possibly because their thumbs are much shorter.
However, they are quite adept at climbing branches. Females are
polyestrous
The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous ...
, capable of becoming pregnant multiple times a year. They give birth to one pup at a time.
[Carter, D.C. (1970). "Chiropteran reproduction", pp. 233–246, in ''About bats''. B.H. Slaughter and D. W. Walton (eds.). Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, Texas.][Schmidt, C. (1988). "Reproduction", pp. 99–109, in ''Natural history of vampire bats''. A. M. Greenhall and U. Schmidt (eds.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. ]
They will roost with many other species of bat, including the
greater sac-winged bat
The greater sac-winged bat (''Saccopteryx bilineata'') is a bat of the family Emballonuridae native to Central and South America.
They are the most common bats seen in the rainforest, as they often roost on the outside of large trees. They are ...
,
lesser dog-like bat
The lesser dog-like bat (''Peropteryx macrotis''), also known as Peters' sac-winged bat, is a species of bat from South and Central America. First described in 1826, it was renamed in 1843 because the original scientific name was already in use f ...
,
big-eared woolly bat
The big-eared woolly bat or (Peters's) woolly false vampire bat (''Chrotopterus auritus'') is a species of bat, belonging to the family Phyllostomidae.
The name ''Chrotopterus'' is derived from Greek roots ''ch''ariots (skin, color), and ''pter ...
,
tailed tailless bat
The tailed tailless bat (''Anoura caudifer'') is a species of leaf-nosed bat from South America.
Taxonomy
The scientific name of this species is variously given as either ''A. caudifer'' or ''A. caudifera'', with scientists having argued for bot ...
,
Seba's short-tailed bat
Seba's short-tailed bat (''Carollia perspicillata'') is a common and widespread bat species in the family Phyllostomidae. They are found in Central America, the northern parts of South America, and in the Antilles islands.
Description
''C. per ...
,
little yellow-shouldered bat,
great fruit-eating bat
The great fruit-eating bat (''Artibeus lituratus'') is a bat species found from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina, as well as in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and To ...
,
white-lined broad-nosed bat,
Pallas's long-tongued bat
Pallas's long-tongued bat (''Glossophaga soricina'') is a South and Central American bat with a fast metabolism that feeds on nectar.
Metabolism
It has the fastest metabolism ever recorded in a mammal, similar to those of hummingbirds. Althou ...
,
Handley's nectar bat
Handley's nectar bat (''Lonchophylla handleyi'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perà ...
,
white-bellied big-eared bat
The white-bellied big-eared bat (''Micronycteris minuta'') is a bat species from South and Central America, as well as Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost islan ...
,
greater spear-nosed bat,
Parnell's mustached bat
Parnell's mustached bat (''Pteronotus parnellii'') is an insectivorous bat native to the Americas. It ranges from southern Sonora, Mexico, south to Brazil. It has a wider historical range; fossil specimens have been collected on the island of Ne ...
,
Wagner's mustached bat
Wagner's mustached bat (''Pteronotus personatus'') is a bat species from South and Central America. It is one of the few New World bats species known to perform Doppler shift compensation behavior.
Description
Wagner's mustached bat is a relati ...
,
buffy broad-nosed bat, and
common vampire bat
The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat ...
.
[Trajano, E. 1984. Ecologia de populacoes de morcegos cavernicolas em uma regiao carstica do Sudeste do Brasil. Revista Brasiliera de Zoologia, 2:255–320.][Graham, G. L. 1988. Interspecific associations among Peruvian bats at diurnal roosts and roost sites. Journal of Mammalogy, 69:711–720.]
Their karyotype consists of 32 chromosomes.
Range and habitat
They have been found in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...
,
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
,
Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
,
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
,
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
,
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
, and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
.
They have flexible roosting and foraging habitat requirements.
They prefer moist, open areas, but will still forage in dry deciduous or evergreen forests.
[Eisenberg, J. F. (1989). ''Mammals of the Neotropics: the northern Neotropics''. Vol. 1. Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.]
They will roost in both tree cavities and caves.
Conservation
They are consistently assessed as
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
by the
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
.
While it is infrequently encountered, it has a broad distribution, and is tolerant of a variety of habitats.
The population is assumed to be large.
They can be maintained in captivity. Captive populations can be supported with cow and chicken blood. Blood must be
defibrinated to prevent clotting. Each bat ingests approximately of blood per day. They are
social animals, and should be maintained in colonies. Their colonies have
dominance hierarchies
In biology, a dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social groups interact, creating a ranking system. A dominant higher-ranking individual is som ...
.
References
External links
Vampires: The Real Story– about the vampire bat
Bat World– An all-volunteer, non-salaried, non-profit organization devoted to the education, conservation and rehabilitation of bats
Bat Conservation International– A website devoted to the education, conservation and study of bat
Graduate student research on white-winged vampire bats
{{Taxonbar, from=Q639785
Phyllostomidae
Bats of South America
Mammals of Colombia
Mammals of Venezuela
Mammals of Trinidad and Tobago
Mammals of the Caribbean
Bats of Central America
Parasites of birds
Mammals described in 1893
Taxa named by Fredericus Anna Jentink
Vampire bats