Devil bats kiss their species in exchange for blood

When making friends, the bat will groom and share food that is drawn from other creatures by mouth.

Researchers observe how vampire bats build social relationships and discover and share food as important behavior to make friends. Bats may starve if not eaten for three days. So sharing the blood earned can help save lives. The study was published in the journal Current Biology on March 19.

Devil bats build relationships by sharing food with their mouths.(Photo: CNN).

For 15 months, the scientists observed strange bats resting in the same place. Initially, they get acquainted by brushing each other. As they get closer, they will come to exchange food. Food is blood drawn from another organism, which is vomited by a bat and given to a fellow oral partner.15% of the bats who performed this action did not know each other before.

"The blood transfusion bat is similar to the act of releasing food to a bird in many birds. It is especially true that it does so with other adults," said Professor Gerald Carter, author of the study, ecologist. studying behavior at Ohio State University (USA), said. Bats groom each other even when the coat is clean, which means it's not just for body hygiene, Carter adds.

Devil bats are the only mammal to eat blood. They feed by biting larger animals, such as cattle. Devil bats can suck up as much blood as half their body weight a day, while other bats eat fruit, nectar or insects. A study published last November showed that demon bats who make friends while in captivity often continue to maintain relationships when they return to the wild.

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