Still Waters Posted January 12, 2017 #1 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Human blood is now on the menu. Wild vampire bats that were thought to exclusively feed on bird blood have been caught feeding on people for the first time, raising health concerns. Enrico Bernard from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, and his team analysed 70 faeces samples from a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats, D. ecaudata, living in Catimbau National Park in north-east Brazil. They found that three samples out of the 15 they managed to get DNA from had traces of blood from humans. “We were quite surprised,” says Bernard. “This species isn’t adapted to feed on the blood of mammals.” https://www.newscientist.com/article/2117767-wild-vampire-bats-are-now-sucking-blood-from-humans-at-night/ 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdealJustice Posted January 12, 2017 #2 Share Posted January 12, 2017 soon we will see the emergence of the first "Dracula" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Serenity Posted January 12, 2017 #3 Share Posted January 12, 2017 This will not help people's paranoia when it comes to bats. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldorado Posted January 13, 2017 #4 Share Posted January 13, 2017 16 hours ago, AdealJustice said: soon we will see the emergence of the first "Dracula" The first hairy-legged Dracula! Sure to set twilight hearts a flutter. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glorybebe Posted January 13, 2017 #5 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I thought Vampire bats already did feed on humans. I remember reading that they had extremely sharp teeth and would slice the big toe as it would bleed more easily and they would lick the blood up. Supposedly the humans would not feel it as the teeth were so sharp. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquatus1 Posted January 13, 2017 #6 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Yes, this has been happening for ages. I remember being told as a child that there was a standard policy of sending workers home for a few months after they had been targeted, because apparently, the bats pick a victim and return to the same one night after night. Farmers have to bring cows into the shed at night when they get targeted too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glorybebe Posted January 13, 2017 #7 Share Posted January 13, 2017 13 minutes ago, aquatus1 said: Yes, this has been happening for ages. I remember being told as a child that there was a standard policy of sending workers home for a few months after they had been targeted, because apparently, the bats pick a victim and return to the same one night after night. Farmers have to bring cows into the shed at night when they get targeted too. That's right! I forgot about the cows. Strange how this is all new now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.United_Nations Posted January 13, 2017 #8 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I agree with you guys. Many years ago on Animal planet they talked about vampire bats targeting humans in old buildings or barns 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetoroam Posted January 13, 2017 #9 Share Posted January 13, 2017 (edited) I also knew about bats targeting humans, but these are bats who normally feed off birds: 22 hours ago, Still Waters said: Human blood is now on the menu. Wild vampire bats that were thought to exclusively feed on bird blood have been caught feeding on people for the first time, raising health concerns. They found that three samples out of the 15 they managed to get DNA from had traces of blood from humans. “We were quite surprised,” says Bernard. “This species isn’t adapted to feed on the blood of mammals.” and here is the reason why the bats have to change its menu: so the humans have taken away the bat`s food, so the bats feed off them instead....seems fair to me. But human encroachment may be driving the species to try new blood. The park is now home to several human families and the bat’s usual prey, such as guans and tinamous, are disappearing due to deforestation and hunting. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2117767-bird-loving-vampire-bats-develop-taste-for-human-blood/ Edited January 13, 2017 by freetoroam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka CAT Posted January 13, 2017 #10 Share Posted January 13, 2017 (edited) That no testimonies of people whom have actually been bitten by bats was included seemed almost suspect in that I had to wonder about people's, perhaps, not even noticing such a thing. So, I sought a personal account-- http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/02/480414566/bats-in-the-bedroom-can-spread-rabies-without-an-obvious-bite And to think I thought elderly people tended to sleep light and (@)(@) wake even easier than do I. Edited January 13, 2017 by aka CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactic Goatman Posted January 14, 2017 #11 Share Posted January 14, 2017 On 1/13/2017 at 9:44 AM, glorybebe said: I thought Vampire bats already did feed on humans. I remember reading that they had extremely sharp teeth and would slice the big toe as it would bleed more easily and they would lick the blood up. Supposedly the humans would not feel it as the teeth were so sharp. On rare occasions yes they have been known to parasitize* humans. But they do not nip off the big toe. Desmodus bites are usually just small incisions. They teeth are sharp, but not "sever big toe painlessly" sharp. Vamipre Bats did not evolve to feed off of domestic cattle, before the widespread introduction of cattle, they fed primarily on forest-living herbivores. It would make sense that they would again switch to a new species of abundant mammal: us. *In the sense of feeding directly off another organism at its expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glorybebe Posted January 14, 2017 #12 Share Posted January 14, 2017 8 minutes ago, AustinHinton said: On rare occasions yes they have been known to parasitize* humans. But they do not nip off the big toe. Desmodus bites are usually just small incisions. They teeth are sharp, but not "sever big toe painlessly" sharp. Vamipre Bats did not evolve to feed off of domestic cattle, before the widespread introduction of cattle, they fed primarily on forest-living herbivores. It would make sense that they would again switch to a new species of abundant mammal: us. *In the sense of feeding directly off another organism at its expense. From what I read humans would bring cows in to where they slept so that the bats would go after the humans. It was not like there were clouds of bats converging on towns and attacking humans. It was small villages that the bats figured out easier meals could be found. And I never said nip off the big toe. They would make incisions in order to make the toe bleed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactic Goatman Posted January 14, 2017 #13 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Quote It was not like there were clouds of bats converging on towns and attacking humans. Well no kidding, this isn't an Asylum film. Quote And I never said nip off the big toe Oh, sorry then, I must have mis-read your post. The point I was trying to make was that bats had switched prey species before, so it didn't surprise me that they have started to switch to humans. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoo7 Posted January 14, 2017 #14 Share Posted January 14, 2017 3 minutes ago, AustinHinton said: Well no kidding, this isn't an Asylum film. Oh, sorry then, I must have mis-read your post. The point I was trying to make was that bats had switched prey species before, so it didn't surprise me that they have started to switch to humans. Nice, yeah hummers were probably not always sugar eaters / nectar .... next it will be the insides of eye balls reported at all hummmingbird feeders, my prediction for 2017. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glorybebe Posted January 14, 2017 #15 Share Posted January 14, 2017 (edited) I really think humans don't give animals enough credit. They learn and change their habits or tastes to what food is available. It is just like sharks. People said that humans tasted bad to sharks. I thought that sharks would figure out an easy food source with so many humans in the oceans now. And low and behold a documentary (can't remember which one, will try to find it) had a marine biologist state the same thing. Animals really are more aware and able to learn, not just adapt to their surroundings. Edited January 14, 2017 by glorybebe Typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWoo7 Posted January 14, 2017 #16 Share Posted January 14, 2017 YEah their not stupid. People can't belief one of our dogs little blacky, tries to climb trees, if you as for show ITS ACTUALLY KIND OF SCARY , she'll stand on her hind legs and like JUMP up and down and CLACK! CLACK! SNAPSNAPSNAP and one sees tons of WHITE TEETH ! I should have filmed it, never seen a dog do anything close to that. So, anything animals do like bats changing their feeding/FOOD LIKES really doesn't surprise me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlitterRose Posted January 14, 2017 #17 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Cows are much easier prey for them. I can't imagine many are trying to feed off of humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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