Desmodus rotundus
Silhouette: Roberto Díaz Sibaja · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to the Americas. It is one of three extant species of vampire bats, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat practices hematophagy, mainly feeding on the blood of livestock. The bat usually approaches its prey at night while they are sleeping. It then uses its razor-sharp teeth to cut open the skin of its hosts and lap up their blood with its long tongue. The species is highly polygynous, and dominant adult males defend groups of females. It is one of the most social of bat species with a number of cooperative behaviors such as social grooming and food sharing. Because it feeds on livestock and is a carrier of rabies, the common vampire bat is considered a pest. Its conservation status is categorized as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of "its wide distribution, presumed large population tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category."
The common vampire bat was first described... Wikipedia →
Recording0:13
Panama · 2021
© Larry Chen · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Moody Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Vallazoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vampire Bat sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 28 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Vampire Bat in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September–April, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Vampire Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Vampire Bat sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Phyllostomidae
The closest relatives of the Vampire Bat that you can see in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (family Phyllostomidae, New World Leaf-nosed Bats) are Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat (about 10%) and wrinkle-faced bat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Vampire Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
