Vampire Bats 2.0

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. All notoriety aside, blood is actually a reasonably small part of the vampire bat’s diet. In captivity, it is not uncommon for these animals to be fed no blood at all. True False

2. Vampire bats are among the most social of all bat species, and colonies of vampire bats can number in the thousands. What unique behavior is common among vampire bats to help ensure the largest number of surviving colony members? Each bat in the colony will take turns being active in the daytime. These members serve as “sentries” and sound a hypersonic alarm if the colony is threatened by a predator. If a member of the colony has been unsuccessful hunting, another member will regurgitate blood into its mouth. Bats who have already fed in a night will distract prey for other members of the colony. Vampire bats bury their own dead; this is theorized to be an adaptation against bacterial infection.

3. Which of these social activities is also very common in vampire bat colonies? Trivia games Migration Wrestling Grooming

4. The vampire bat is the only type of bat that is a capable runner as well as a capable flyer. True False

5. Besides their unique mode of nourishment, what is another way that vampire bats differ from insect-eating bats in their hunting methods? They navigate by high-energy sonar, as opposed to the lower-energy sound pulses of insect-eating bats. They navigate only by low-energy sound pulses, as opposed to the high-energy sonar of insect-eating bats. Unlike any other species of bat, the vampire bat is perfectly content hunting in broad daylight They typically swarm their prey, as opposed to solo-hunting insect-eating bats.

6. Due to its high metabolism, a vampire bat must consume many times its own weight in blood per night. It is not uncommon for a vampire bat to drink a pint of blood per week! True False

7. Because vampire bats do not chew their food, their molars are less developed than those of other flying mammals. True False

8. In 2003, a scientific paper was published regarding the clinical use of desmoteplase, a substance that occurs naturally in the saliva of vampire bats. For what use is this drug being tested? Growing hair Treating diabetes Dissolving clots in heart attack and stroke patients Alleviating withdrawal symptoms in heroin addicts

9. Though it is common for non-scientists to speak of vampire bats collectively, there are actually several species of flying mammal that carry the name. True False

10. In which of these countries or regions would you be least likely to find a vampire bat? Trinidad Mexico Transylvania Belize