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The 'Hairy-legged Vampire Bat' (''Diphylla ecaudata'') is one of three species of vampire bat. Despite connotations of vampires, it mainly feeds on the blood of birds. This vampire bat lives mainly in tropical and subtropical forestlands of South America. It is the sole member of the genus '''Diphylla'''.
It generally rests during the daylight with less than twelve other bats in a cave, although a cave was once found with 35 bats. It also shares its food. It also has good sight, but poor echolocation. It is often found in caves with the Common Vampire Bat (''Desmodus rotundus''), but it is a solitary bat and does not form groups like ''Desmodus''. There are no lingual grooves under the tongue as in Desmodus and Diaemus but it does have a groove along the roof of the mouth which may serve as a "blood gutter".^[1]
As with all mammals, it can be a carrier of rabies.

Contents

Subspecies

References

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies

★ ''Diphylla ecaudata centralis'' is found from western Panama to Mexico.

★ ''Diphylla ecaudata ecaudata'' is found from Brazil and eastern Peru to eastern Panama.

References

1. A.M. Greenhall and U. Schmidt, editors. 1988. ''Natural History of Vampire Bats'', CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. ISBN 0849367506; ISBN 978-0849367502, pp. 125-128.


★

★ Greenhall, Arthur M. 1961. ''Bats in Agriculture''. A Ministry of Agriculture Publication. Trinidad and Tobago.

★ A.M. Greenhall and U. Schmidt, editors. 1988. ''Natural History of Vampire Bats'', CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. ISBN 0849367506; ISBN 978-0849367502