Julianne C. -- Vampire bats, infamously known in folklore, are also well known for their hunting tactics. Everyone knows that Vampire bats suck the blood of their prey (Usually cattle and livestock), but there are less widely known facts of how they find their prey. Many people can distinguish that bats use Sonar Frequency when hunting. Sonar frequency, also known as Echolocation and biosonar, is a process of hunting that includes sending out a sort of echo and listening very intensely for the sound that rebounds back. Not only bats do this, but also a type of whale and few different types of bird. However, newer studies have shown that Vampire bats don’t just use these methods to track their prey. Researchers are now reporting that the bats use a type of heat-sensing molecule in the nerve endings of their noses. These heat detecting molecules search for the blood flow in the prey, so that the bats can get a good meal. Studies have also shown that these nerves are similar to ones that humans have, a pain sensing molecule on the eyes, mouth and nose that detects the heat from chili peppers. Other animals have been shown to have similar molecules to these, modified in ways that benefit the animal and it’s lifestyle.
It was very surprising to me to see that animals can have a kind of heat-sensor. What shocked me even more was the fact that we humans have a similar kind of molecule, however one that detects spicy food. I never knew that bats could detect blood flow this way, as I’m sure many people don’t yet, and it amazes me how much we have to learn about each different creature. Studies like these are great, because they show just how much we relate to animals, and also how complex each animal is. These sensors that the bats have are just another way to help them get nutrients and survive longer. I thought this article was very interesting and I hope it inspires people to think about all the little but important “features” that animals have to survive. I also hope it makes people wonder more about what we don’t know about animals. I learned something about bats that I never would have guessed, and I even learned a bit about myself! (Being a human, as I am). I hope this makes people realize just how complex every animal is.
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