ASIAN FALSE VAMPIRE BATS: CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

ASIAN FALSE VAMPIRE BATS

Lesser false vampire bat

Megadermatidae, or false vampire bats, are a family of bats found that range from central Africa, eastwards through southern Asia, and into Australia. They are relatively large bats, ranging from 6.5 to 14 centimeters in head-body length. They have large eyes, very large ears and a prominent nose-leaf. They have a wide membrane (uropatagium) between their hind legs but no tail. Many species are a drab brown in color, but some are white, bluish-grey or even olive-green, helping to camouflage them against their preferred roosting environments. They are primarily insectivorous, but will also eat a wide range of small vertebrates. All species of this family are nocturnal, with the exception of the yellow-winged bat which is sometimes active in daylight.[Source: Wikipedia]

Greater false vampire bats (Megaderma lyra) are found in tropical areas in forests, rainforests and scrub forests from eastern Pakistan and Sri Lanka to southeastern China and the northern Malay Peninsula. They generally forage less than one meter from the ground among trees and undergrowth when they feed at night and roost during the day in caves, pits, buildings and hollow trees. These bats reside in more arid areas than lesser false vampire bat Their average lifespan in captivity is 14 years. [Source: Joshua Stumpf, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Lesser false vampire bats (Megaderma spasma) live in India and Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They live in a variety of habitats including hollow trees, caves, buildings, and any other large, sheltered structure. They are usually found in wet areas in forests and rainforests. [Source: Eric J. Ellis, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

False vampire bats species get their name from an old misconception that they drank blood like the true vampire bats. The ghost bat, heart-nosed bat, lesser false vampire bat, and greater false vampire bat feed on insects and small vertebrates; the yellow-winged bat and Thongaree's disc-nosed bat are likely fully insectivorous. The heart-nosed bat, greater false vampire bat, and the ghost bat are three of the few bat-eating bats in the world.

Asian False Vampire Bat Characteristics and Diet

False vampire bats are relatively large bats, with head and body lengths that range from 6.5 to 14 centimeters (2.6–5.5 inches). Their forearm lengths range from 5 to 11.5 centimeters (2.0–4.5 inches). They all lack tails. The ghost bat is the largest member of the family. All the species have very large ears with divided tragi (a small pointed eminence of the external ear). They have long nose-leaves

drawing of a Lesser false vampire bat by Haeckel (1904)

Greater false vampire bats range in weight from 40 to 60 grams (1.4 to 2.1 ounces) and have a head and body length that ranges from 65 to 95 millimeters (2.6 to 3.7 inches). Their fur is grayish brown above and whitish gray below. Their ears are large and connected above rostrum (hard, beak-like structures projecting out from the head or mouth). [Source: Joshua Stumpf, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

False vampire bats are primarily insectivores (eat insects) but can also be recognized as carnivores (eat meat or animal parts) and piscivores (eat fish). Animal foods include birds, mammals, reptiles, fish insects terrestrial non-insect arthropods.

The diet of greater false vampire bats consists of large insects, spiders, and small vertebrates such as bats, birds, rodents, and fish. Prey are detected either by passive listening or with the help of echolocation (emitting sound waves and sensing their reflections to determine the location of objects), then gleaned from the substrate and removed to a night roost where they are consumed . They will occasionally enter houses to take prey, such as lizards and insects, from the walls.

Asian False Vampire Bat Behavior

False vampire bats are nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), social (associates with others of its species; forms social groups) and colonial (live together in groups or in close proximity to each other). They sense using touch and chemicals usually detected with smell.[Source: Joshua Stumpf, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Roosts of greater false vampire contain three to 30, although a seasonal colony of 1500 to 2000 was reported in India. Most individuals maintain a distance of approximately nine centimeters from members of their own species. Occasionally up to five individuals will roost in contact clusters restricted to mothers and offspring /=\

roosting greater false vampire bat

Lesser false vampire bats roosts in groups of 3-30 individuals and are usually the only animals present at a roost. They seasonally occur in very large groups. They often feed by flying in trees and brush low to the ground. When they capture prey it is brought back to the roost before being eaten. If young are present, and are old enough to eat solid food, the parents will feed them before they themselves eat. [Source: Eric J. Ellis, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Asian False Vampire Bat Mating, Reproduction and Offspring

Greater false vampire bat females segregate from males prior to birth, otherwise both sexes occupy the same roost sites. These bats engage in seasonal breeding. Mating takes place from November through January, with one (occasionally two) young born from April to June. [Source: Joshua Stumpf, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

The gestation period ranges from 150 to 160 days. On average males and females reach sexual or reproductive maturity between 15 to 19 months. Young are altricial, meaning they are born relatively underdeveloped and are unable to feed or care for themselves or move independently for a period of time after birth. Females carry young with them during foraging until the pups are between one and twenty-three days old, at which point they “park” them at either a day or a special night roost. Young are nursed for two to three months /=\

Lesser false vampire bat males and females live together throughout the year. The mating season is from November to January. The young (usually one, rarely two) are born between April and June after a 150-160 day gestation period. The birth of the young is timed to occur before the monsoon season sets in. The young grow very rapidly and are carried by the mother. [Source: Eric J. Ellis, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Asian False Vampire Bats, Predators and Humans

Greater and lesser Asian false vampire bats are not considered threatened or endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies them as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status.

Greater and lesser Asian false vampire bats occasionally enter human dwellings to capture prey. Among their positive impacts on humans are helping to control pests. /=\

Although little is known of predation on false vampire bats, it is likely that much predation occurs on young in roosts by small predators such as snakes, civets, birds of prey and domestic cats . False vampire ar e most vulnerable when they are roosting. They are agile in flight, allowing them to avoid some predation.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025