Vampire bats social distance when they get sick

[UngulateNerd92]

A new paper in Behavioral Ecology, published by Oxford University Press, finds that wild vampire bats that are sick spend less time near others from their community, which slows how quickly a disease will spread. The research team had previously seen this behavior in the lab, and used a field experiment to confirm it in the wild.

Vampire bats social distance when they get sick

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Very interesting, these bats are fascinating in so many ways and it is quite sad that they have such a negative reputation (in some ways in terms of infectious disease very understandable).

They are also if I remember correctly one of the only truly altruistic species.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Very interesting, these bats are fascinating in so many ways and it is quite sad that they have such a negative reputation (in some ways in terms of infectious disease very understandable).

They are also if I remember correctly one of the only truly altruistic species.

I totally agree with you. Which other altruistic behaviors have been documented in Vampire bats?

 

[Batto]

Which other altruistic behaviors have been documented in Vampire bats?

You mean, other than blood-sharing?
The Curious, Bloody Lives of Vampire Bats | Natural History Magazine

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I totally agree with you. Which other altruistic behaviors have been documented in Vampire bats?

As @Batto says the main altruistic behaviour that has been documented in the common vampire bat (not sure about the other two species?) is blood sharing.

It is a really interesting behaviour and one which (along with the potential benefits from research into the anticoagulants in their saliva for improvements in human medicine) should at least make people appreciate this little bat more and help dispell some of its negative reputation.

Incidentally, I knew a researcher who studied this species in the wild in Costa Rica and even kept some briefly in captivity and it was quite interesting to learn more about these animals from talking with her.

 

[Batto]

along with the potential benefits from research into the anticoagulants in their saliva for improvements in human medicine

AFAIK, the medical trials with Draculin stopped a couple of years ago due to not completely convincing results. The Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck that acquired the rights on Draculin research from the Paoin company declared to continue research on it, but I haven't heard anything new in this regard for several years.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

AFAIK, the medical trials with Draculin stopped a couple of years ago due to not completely convincing results. The Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck that acquired the rights on Draculin research from the Paoin company declared to continue research on it, but I haven't heard anything new in this regard for several years.

Yes, I heard that clinical trials stalled too, but I think that even if they have the fact that these properties of the vampire bat were being studied for potential medical utility are positive something to highlight about these species.

 

[Batto]

if they have the fact that these properties of the vampire bat were being studied for potential medical utility are positive something to highlight about these species.

Most people are only interested in success stories. The infrared sensors, the hunting strategy, their social intelligence (including the altruism), jokes about movie vampires wearing adult diapers when talking about the efficiency of vampire bat kidneys - there're already plenty highlights to get the attention of your audience. That and my joke about attending a talk on vampire eradication programs at a bat conference in Berlin by a professor who looked a bit like a Van Helsing.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Most people are only interested in success stories. The infrared sensors, the hunting strategy, their social intelligence (including the altruism), jokes about movie vampires wearing adult diapers when talking about the efficiency of vampire bat kidneys - there're already plenty highlights to get the attention of your audience. That and my joke about attending a talk on vampire eradication programs at a bat conference in Berlin by a professor who looked a bit like a Van Helsing.

Wow !

Seems like you already have this one perfected to a tee @Batto.

It sounds like you really go for gold in giving your talks as they have a good mix of humour and interesting facts about the species and its ecology and that is what I've observed all successful environmental educators do when engaging with the public.

Is that true about the Van Helsing lookalike professor / cliché ?

 

[Batto]

Is that true about the Van Helsing lookalike professor / cliché ?

The story is true; the prof looked like one from the more sophisticated branch of the Van Helsings, though.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

The story is true; the prof looked like one from the more sophisticated branch of the Van Helsings, though.

Lol !

Very cliché dress sense of this prof given the topic of the talk, but it is a good talking point I agree.