Digestion and Assimilation of Bovine Blood by a Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

Abstract

The systemic method of control of vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), based on their unique sanguine diet, has been in use for nearly 10 years (Thompson et al., 1972); however, little is known about the digestio and assimilation of this diet. In the systemic method the host animals, usually cattle, are given a relativ small amount of a prothrombopenic anticoagulant intraruminally so that it will enter the host's blood strea When the vampire feeds, with its usual copious diuresis, the anticoagulant-plasma complex is concentra in the bat until it reaches toxic levels. Wimsatt and Guerriere (1962) have observed the feeding capaci and excretory functions of the vampire, and McNab (1969) has reported on its thermoregulation and ba metabolism. Other than the above-mentioned studies, few reports occur in the literature on the digestion of blood by these bats.