THE VAMPIRE that won't suck your blood

Stories

Crimson Forest: A Vampire Tale

I hadn’t originally intended to cover vampire bat facts in one of these blog installments; however, when I saw the fascinating and unique footage (perhaps representing the only footage of parasitization of a wild host – a collared peccary) on one of my camera traps at Tambopata Research Center, in the Tambopata National Reserve, I needed no encouragement to pivot from my originally scheduled content.

 

Vampire bats (Desmodontinae) are a marvel of evolution. They represent one of the fastest evolutionary divergences within the vertebrates. Evolved from an insectivorous ancestor some 22 million years ago, the route to ‘vampirism’  was achieved within a mere 5 million years. Fraught with more risks than one might think, the complete, all-inclusive diet afforded by blood-meal provided an irresistible evolutionary incentive. A one-stop, fly-by meal, rich in protein and nutrients. Only getting by without getting caught is harder than one might think, and the unique suite of physiological adaptations, stranger than one can imagine.

Desmodus rotundus,

Desmodus rotundus, the common vampire bat, is found in colonies with hundreds of individuals mainly females with their offspring; typically found in caves but in the Amazon rainforest is found in hollow trees. Photo by CC BY-SA 3.0

 

Of course, for a creature that weighs under 100 grams, simply approaching a host entails a perilous undertaking requiring the utmost stealth. Flight can be noisy or create drafts that can wake sleeping prey. Thus, these bats have regained the ability to walk, hop or even run (up to 2 meters/sec) using the combination of powerful legs and wings, enabling them to follow, or approach sleeping prey without alerting them to their presence and to quickly maneuver out of the way of a potentially fatal blow.

Vampire bats…

Once they have reached their intended target, they locate ‘hot spots’ – capillary-dense, thin-skinned areas like the feet which are ideal for feeding.  Vampire bats are the only mammals known to be able to detect infrared radiation – heat, and they do so by lowering the activation threshold of a cluster of specialized heat-sensitive neurons – the trigeminal ganglia – present in ‘leaf pits’ surrounding the nose. Once they have selected a spot, they must pierce the skin or tough hide, sometimes first shearing the site to clear it of hair that might otherwise interfere with feeding and all without alerting the host to their presence. They are able to do this through yet another specialized adaptation – razor-sharp incisors kept perpetually sharp through the lack of tooth enamel.  Because these incisors are so sharp, less pressure needs to be exerted to break the skin, reducing the chances of waking the host.

 

Now that the vampire is ready to feed, it uses yet another innovation, a specially grooved tongue. Blood is held within two channels on the underside of the tongue through capillary forces and then drawn up through muscle contraction in a kind of ‘tongue-pump’, all whilst saliva, containing an anticoagulant, Draculin, (a molecule of interest for the treatment of stroke victims) trickles down the topside of the tongue to keep the blood flowing in one of the most morbidly fascinating adaptations I’ve had the pleasure of learning about!

 

But we’re not done yet! Like the safe-cracker who pulls out tool after tool to pull off a heist, the vampire bat isn’t finished.

Vampire_bat_skeleton_face

 

A vampire bat skeleton, showing distinctive incisors and canines. Photo by Mokele

 

Drinking between a third and half of their body weight in a single feeding, this sudden weight gain could imperil flight or even ground them if not for their ultra-efficient kidneys and long, thin, and muscular bladder. This combination allows them to rapidly process the blood plasma (which is 90% water), absorbing the protein from the blood and excreting the excess fluid in the form of urine, all while still feeding.

 

Whereas ingesting a huge volume of liquids represents a physical challenge, the ingestion of large amounts of iron in the form of heme from hemoglobin (the iron-based molecule used to bind and transport oxygen) and nitrogenous proteins forms a chemical challenge, which can lead to toxicity. Laboratory studies have shown that macrophages (white blood cells with important immune functions), have been co-opted to help remove excess iron, whilst an as yet to be understood process appears to afford some form of protection from chronically high blood-nitrogen levels (azotemia) which would be otherwise debilitating and could represent yet another medically valuable avenue, this time for renal disease victims.

 

Fed and satisfied, the bat returns to its communal roost where it may engage in one of the few known cases of reciprocal altruism, a hotly debated behavior amongst biologists, whereby unrelated individuals share resources at a significant cost to the donor. Due to their high metabolic rates, bats must feed every 48 hours or else they will starve. To hedge against this starvation, bats will share with unsuccessful roost-mates, regurgitating blood with the expectation that their roost-mates will reciprocate in the future.

 

And so, while the vampire bat has earned a fearful reputation inspiring an entire horror genre, through insight and understanding of its complicated biology, this creature’s astounding natural history is less awful and more awe-inspiring and provides a story we can all really sink our teeth into.

So, if you are asking where do vampire bats live, you can find some in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru.

How to plan your Amazon travel to see this and other Amazon wildlife

  • Go on a hike in the rainforest with a trained guide: Bats are anywhere in the rainforest. However, to see a bat, hang out with a guide on a night walk around one of our trails.
  • Sign up for a Free Trial of the Wired Amazon: even if Amazon Travel is not in your short-term plans you can connect with Amazon wildlife. Sign-up for your free trial of the Wired Amazon and help us identify the Amazon wildlife that is on the photos taken by our 20 square kilometer grid of 78 cameras snapping away in the middle of the Amazon jungle

 

by Paul Bertner

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We had an excellent 5 night stay at TRC with two couples. The remote Lodge and accommodation are unique especially with the open walls to the jungle in the rooms. The guides were first rate with superb knowledge and their ability to spot fauna in the dense jungle was incredible. We saw many species of monkeys; macaws, parrots, tapirs, etc.. even lucky enough to spot a jaguar. Food and service was really good. While not cheap it was I think very good value for money. We really enjoyed all the hikes and citizen science activities as well, he trips on the river and the clay licks. Overall amazing experience! As it’s the jungle not a zoo, you can’t guarantee that you’ll see everything all the time so allow enough days to properly explore. Read all

A once-in-a-lifetime experience in the middle of the rainforest. From airport pickup in Puerto Maldonado to the lodge and back, everything was exceptionally well organised. Communication was clear throughout, with the team always explaining what would happen, where to be and what to take care of. The staff at both HQ and the lodge were incredibly attentive, making the entire stay feel completely carefree. At this price point, this is the level of service you expect, but it is still impressive to experience it in such a remote setting. The food was another highlight: very well curated and balanced, with plenty of options at every buffet and, surprisingly, we never had the same dish twice. Read all

This was an excellent experience!! Highly recommend if you’re interested in visiting the Amazon Rainforest and Tambopata region. Especially happy with our guide Miguel, who was highly professional, informative, and organized. It was an immersive adventure and we got to see so many unique plants and animals. 10/10! Read all

Amazing experience at Refugio Amazonas. Rooms were comfortable and clean. Great buffet spread every day. Staff were friendly and attentive. Our guide Alan was very informative. Overall would definitely recommend a visit! Read all

We stayed 3 nights at Posada Amazonas during our summer trip to Peru, and it was definitely one of the biggest highlights of the whole journey. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. Our guide, Joss, was professional, friendly and amazingly knowledgeable. Sometimes it honestly felt like he could communicate with the animals — he could spot black caimans or giant river otters from hundreds of metres away! The excursions were unforgettable. We saw beautiful macaws, giant river otters, capybaras, sloths, tarantulas, an anaconda, different species of monkeys, toucans and so much more. I especially loved the rainforest walks and joined both the daytime and night walks. Every walk felt completely different, and you never knew what you might find. What also made the stay special was the lodge’s involvement in scientific and environmental projects. There was a talk every evening, and we learned a lot about the rainforest and its wildlife. We also joined the “Discover New Species” activity and helped search for possible new species of tiger moths — such a fun and memorable experience. The lodge itself is definitely rustic luxury rather than a city-style 5-star hotel. There is no air conditioning or hair dryer, but the hot shower, fan and hammock in the room were all very comfortable and suited the rainforest setting perfectly. And surprisingly, the internet connection was excellent — even the boats had Starlink! One of the things I appreciated most is that Posada Amazonas is a collaboration between Rainforest Expeditions and the local Indigenous community that owns the land. Many community members are directly involved in running the lodge, and you can really feel how much the staff care about and are connected to this rainforest, which is part of their ancestral home. If you are looking for an authentic, educational and truly memorable Amazon rainforest experience, I highly recommend Posada Amazonas. We absolutely loved our stay. Read all

The Tambopata Research Center (TRC) offers a well-organized immersive rainforest experience within the Tambopata National Reserve. The TRC and its accommodations put a spin on the term creature comforts by keeping guests comfortable while they commune among the creatures within the rainforest. I appreciated, through what I observed and the interactions I had, the attentiveness of the TRC team members. They knew their guests and seamlessly organized a lot for our benefit. The center assigns guests to a small group with a dedicated guide. In my case, Erick Arguedas was a superb ambassador for all things living in the rainforest, in part because it was the environment in which he grew up. His role was to ensure we got the most out of our visit. Being a long-term TRC guide gave him the expertise he needed to easily fulfill this role. Read all

Our stay at Refugio Amazonas was a great experience from beginning to end. The entire trip was very well organized, and having a tour guide with you throughout the experience made everything easy and enjoyable. Our guides, Dennis and Tuto, were excellent. They both spoke English very well and did a fantastic job explaining the different birds, trees, plants, and animals we encountered. Their knowledge really made the excursions much more interesting and helped us appreciate the Amazon on a deeper level. The expeditions were definitely a highlight. I highly recommend the clay lick, sunset cruise, observation tower, river boat tour, and night walk. Each activity offered something different, and we were able to see so much wildlife. The food was also excellent. Everything was fresh and tasted great. I especially enjoyed the protein dishes, fresh fruit, and yuca potatoes. Considering how remote the lodge is, we were very impressed with the quality of the food. The rooms are very open to nature, which is part of what makes the experience so unique. We saw monkeys right from our room, along with many birds and lizards. We even had a frog visit our room at night—which was definitely an interesting Amazon experience! 😂 One thing to be aware of is that the walls between rooms are quite thin, so you can hear your neighbors at times. Overall, the entire experience was absolutely worth the trip. If you’re visiting the Peruvian Amazon, I would strongly recommend Refugio Amazonas. The wildlife, guides, excursions, food, and being completely immersed in nature made this one of the highlights of our Peru trip. 🌿🦜🐒 Read all

Our stay here was one of the favorite parts of our trip to Peru. One of the most memorable parts of the stay is how wonderful the guides were. We had two different guides during our stay: Jos and Jorge. Jos had an amazing connection with the birds, knowing all the bird sounds by ear, he could imitate most of them. His passion for the birds was evident when we went out to see them, and during a visit to look for macaws at the clay lick, he moved locations just so we would have the opportunity to see them. When we viewed them up close through a new blind that had been built, his joy was as much as ours, delighting as if it was his first sighting. Jorge had a beautiful spirit that he shared with us during our time with him. Growing up in the community there, he had so much knowledge about the plants and trees. He introduced us to a medicinal plant, and had stories about some of the different trees. We felt well cared for by both guides. We also enjoyed the nightly science talks, teaching us about some of the ongoing projects which helped us feel more connected to the area. The food was wonderful, and all the staff were extremely helpful throughout our stay. Read all

Amazing location and truly deep jungle. This organisation has three lodges and this is the nearest to Puerto Maldonado but don’t think that the wildlife here is any less than the lodges further along the river. We saw a LOT of different animals, birds and variety of colours. Well worth the stay. Read all

We stayed last february for 4 nights in the TRC lodge. I never could have imagined that I would explore the amazon in such confortable and immersive way. The lodge itself is such a luxurious place, in the middle of nowhere! The food was nicely curated everyday to offer new bits and pieces of the Peruvian cuisine. The absolute highlight of our stay here was for sure the activities and our guide Carmen, who accompanied us everyday! We were able to choose our everydays activities with our very reduced group and our guide. Carmen guided us on very activity, spotting and explaining what animals we saw and interesting facts about our surroundings. Her knowledge and excitement were so infectious that it would even make the sightings even more special! Read all

One of the most unique experiences we’ve had! You are deep in the heart of the Amazon and truly feel immersed in nature. Our guide Dino was awesome and taught us so much about the rainforest-he is like a walking encyclopedia, and his love for the forest really shows. Also very unique to listen to nightly talks from the research team-it really adds to the experience. Food was great and staff very friendly. Bring lots of bug spray and an adventurous spirit! Read all

The lodge was fantastic; they were very attentive to our needs. The dining staff brought special bread for my wife because of her celiac disease and offered to prepare dishes specifically for her to meet her dietary needs. The lodge guides were truly knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the local wildlife. I especially loved the mosquito net service they provided. I was worried we’d be eaten alive, but their setup is fabulous; I had no concerns once I saw how they installed the impenetrable nets and curtains. The meals were as good as—or better than—anywhere else we ate in Peru. We saw the following animals: macaws, parrots, parakeets, pale-winged trumpeters, tamarins, caimans, capybaras, and a ton of insects on our night hike. Read all