“Vampire bats are very cautious when they are feeding because they have to feed on a much larger animal almost every night of their life,” says Gerald Carter, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University.
Bats and penguins typically live in completely different areas of the world. Vampire bats normally don’t fare well in cold temperatures, preferring to live in both arid and humid locations like rainforests or deserts. However, they’re comfortable enough in the dry west coast of South America, where Humboldt penguins also reside. These two species may have silently been at odds for a while—some experts believe penguins might at one time have been the bats’ primary food source.
“Vampire bats have probably long fed on aggregations of breeding sea birds and other animals along the coasts of Latin America before livestock were introduced,” says Carter.
Because Humboldt penguin populations are decreasing, conservationists consider the species especially vulnerable to the risk of extinction. Vampire bat populations in the area, on the other hand, are considered stable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Vampire bats’ attacks on the vulnerable penguins can lead to blood loss or the spread of diseases like rabies, both of which could weaken penguin chicks or endanger other members of the rookery. But that doesn’t mean these penguins are without ways to defend themselves.
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Publish date : 2024-10-16 06:11:00
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