Habitat and Habitat Utilization by the Common Vampire Bat
   Desmodus rotundus is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America (Hill 1984).  They roost in caves when available near their food source, which consists primarily of cattle and other domesticated animals.  This food source is overabundant and relatively scattered and patchy.  The food sources are always located on farms and ranches where domesticated animals are kept.  Within the ranches or farms, the herds of cattle move around their range and usually sleep together in groups.  Areas without cattle and other domesticated livestock do not harbor vampire bats (Wilson 1997).   If there is a lack of caves in the area, then the bats will roost in tree hollows, old abandoned buildings, or other dark, high openings (Dalquest 1955).  Wherever they roost, they prefer the darkest and highest regions.  They live in a variety of habitats, such as tropical dry forests, tropical dry transitional forest, arid deserts, and premontane moist forest.  The temperatures are warm and usually do not vary great amounts.  Early studies had concluded that vampire bats were not able to thermoregulate very well, however more recent research does show that they are able to thermoregulate down to 0°C (Hill 1984).  Vampires are even found in urban environments.  Vampire bats commonly roost with one or more of nine other bat species.  Observations show that Desmodus rotundus exhibits dominance over some of these other species of bats (Wohlgenant 1994).  Whenever Desmodus rotundus is found with other bats, they occupy the highest and darkest spots in the roost.  Once the vampire bats leave the roost, other species then will move up and take over these vacated spots.  Their dominance is maintained by aggressive behavior such as flapping wings and biting (Wohlgenant 1994).  Vampire bats remain in their roosts until dark falls, when they leave to feed.  The vampire bats will rarely travel beyond 8 km from their roost, however in some rare instances distances of up to 20 km have been observed (Wilson 1997).  Often they will move between several different roosts to stay close as possible to their food source.  In one instance, the vampire bat colony studied had several caves that it rotated among depending upon where the herd of cattle was throughout the year (Turner 1975).  Often there are separate roosts for the males and for the females with young.  The males are relatively solitary, whereas the females roost together in groups in roosts referred to as 'nurseries.'  When threatened, the adult vampire bats will flee either out of the roost or into dark, deep crevices within the roost, leaving the young behind.
 
 
 
  • General description of Desmodus rotundus and its social system
  • Social spacing
  • Social relationships
  • Social cooperation/altruism
  • Summary
  • Bibliography
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