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Animal profile

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat

Diphylla ecaudata

MammaliaHumid tropical forest, roosting in caves, mines and hollow treesLeast Concern

Field profile

The hairy-legged vampire bat is one of three living blood-feeding bat species and the one most specialised on birds. It is smaller and more secretive than the common vampire bat, and roosts in smaller groups. Its lower incisors are unusually broad and fringed, forming a comb-like structure.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-01-21

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat

This vampire bat prefers birds to cattle

Of the three blood-feeding bats, only the common vampire took readily to livestock. The hairy-legged vampire bat stayed with birds, and its anatomy shows it: a cupped tongue, a fringed lower incisor comb, and feet built for gripping a perching host.

Read with evidence →

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat | Daily Animal Facts