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Vampire Bats 2.0 Trivia Quiz

Even more tantalizing information about this fascinating member of the animal kingdom!

A multiple-choice quiz by stuthehistoryguy. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
stuthehistoryguy

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,306

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
2083

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: H53 (6/10), klotzplate (10/10), leith90 (10/10).

Question 1 of 10

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

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Question 2 of 10

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? Hint

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.

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these social activities is also very common in vampire bat colonies? Hint

Trivia games

Grooming

Wrestling

Migration

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Question 4 of 10

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

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. Besides their unique mode of nourishment, what is another way that vampire bats differ from insect-eating bats in their hunting methods? Hint

They navigate by high-energy sonar, as opposed to the lower-energy sound pulses of insect-eating bats.

They typically swarm their prey, as opposed to solo-hunting insect-eating bats.

Unlike any other species of bat, the vampire bat is perfectly content hunting in broad daylight.

They navigate only by low-energy sound pulses, as opposed to the high-energy sonar of insect-eating bats.

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Question 6 of 10

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

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Question 7 of 10

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

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

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? Hint

Treating diabetes

Growing hair

Alleviating withdrawal symptoms in heroin addicts

Dissolving clots in heart attack and stroke patients

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Question 9 of 10

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

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Question 10 of 10

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

Mexico

Transylvania

Belize

Trinidad

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

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.

Answer: False

In fact, blood is, by definition, the only thing that can properly nourish a vampire bat. In zoos, they are usually fed Petri dishes filled with blood. The common vampire bat feeds on mammalian blood, while the other species feed on the blood of birds.

Answer: If a member of the colony has been unsuccessful hunting, another member will regurgitate blood into its mouth.

This activity closely resembles kissing, but is not involved in courtship at all. It is much more common after a female has had a baby - other females may feed the new mother for up to two weeks!

3. Which of these social activities is also very common in vampire bat colonies?

Answer: Grooming

Grooming is highly valued by other bats, who will often "donate" regurgitated food for the service.

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

Answer: True

This adaptation is also related to its diet. Common vampire bats typically prey on large sleeping animals, usually domesticated livestock. Rather than land on them, which might wake them up, the bat will land near its host, then walk over, make its small incision, and start lapping up the blood. Common vampire bats can typically run about 1.2 meters/second - quite fast considering its diminutive size of three inches tall with an eight inch wingspan! By this scale, the vampire bat's ability to jump almost four feet is also quite remarkable.

5. Besides their unique mode of nourishment, what is another way that vampire bats differ from insect-eating bats in their hunting methods?

Answer: They navigate only by low-energy sound pulses, as opposed to the high-energy sonar of insect-eating bats.

Common vampire bats also have highly specialized heat-sensing organs on their noses that allow them to "see" the infrared spectrum in their nocturnal sojourns. This is great for finding blood vessels!

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.

Answer: False

Vampire bats typically require about one ounce of blood per day, or about 60% of their body weight. At this rate, it would take over two weeks to approach a pint. This is still an extraordinary high rate of metabolism, though. Since they only derive nutrition from the red blood cells, vampire bats typically begin excreting blood plasma even before they are done feeding!

For more information, see http://bss.sfsu.edu/geog/bholzman/courses/fall99projects/vampire.htm

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

Answer: True

Vampire bats have very well-devloped incisors (often described as "scalpel-like) and canine teeth for making their initial incision; usually, the host animal never feels a thing. On the contrary, their molars are inconsequential, which, since they never grind their food, is not a problem.

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?

Answer: Dissolving clots in heart attack and stroke patients

Desmoteplase naturally prevents the coagulation of blood while the bat is feeding. As of this writing, it is still in clinical trials and has not been approved by the FDA for general use in the United States.

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.

Answer: True

The term "vampire bat" refers to any one of three bat species that feed on blood: the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata), and the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi). As the taxonomically inclined among you can see, zoologists feel that these species are not even closely related enough to share a genus, and their family (Phyllostomidae) contains a variety of other "leaf-nosed" bats. Vampire bats are usually grouped in a sub-family (Desmodontinae), and it is noted that their other characteristics are similar enough to confirm that the three species of vampire bat are more closely related to each other than to any other animals.

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

Answer: Transylvania

Vampire bats are indigenous to much of Latin America. They are not found in the Eastern Hemisphere - outside of zoos, anyway - and are certainly not known to be seen in the wilds of Transylvania.

Thanks for playing! I welcome any constructive criticism of this quiz.

Source: Author stuthehistoryguy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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