Content
- What blood-feeding animals are called
- Animals that feed on blood
- vampire bat
- Lamprey
- medicinal leech
- Vampire finch
- candiru
- Insects that feed on human blood
- Mosquito
- ticks
- Boring
- Flea
- Sarcopts scabiei
- bed bug
In the animal world, there are species that feed on different types of matter: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores are the most common, but there are also species that, for example, only feed on fruit or carrion, and even some that seek their own nutrients in the droppings of other animals!
Among all these, there are some animals that love blood, including humans! If you want to meet them, you can't miss this PeritoAnimal article about blood-feeding animals. Check out a list of 12 examples and names.
What blood-feeding animals are called
Animals that feed on blood are called hematophagous animals. most of them are parasites of the animals they feed on, but not all. These species are vectors of disease, as they transmit bacteria and viruses found in their victims' blood from one animal to another.
Contrary to what is shown in movies and television, these animals are not insatiable beasts and thirsty for this vital substance, this simply represents another type of food.
Next, find out what these animals are. How many of them have you seen?
Animals that feed on blood
Below, we show you some animals that have blood as the basis of their diet:
vampire bat
Living up to the fame that cinema gave him by relating him to Dracula, there is a species of vampire bat that feeds on blood which, in turn, has 3 subspecies:
- Common Vampire (Desmodus rotundus): it is common in Chile, Mexico and Argentina, where it prefers to live in areas with a lot of vegetation. It has a short coat, flat snout and can move over all 4 limbs. This bloodsucker feeds on cattle, dogs and, very rarely, humans. The method he uses is to make a small cut in the skin of his victims and suck the blood flowing through it.
- Hairy-legged Vampire (Diphylla ecaudata): has a brown body on the back and gray on the abdomen. He prefers to live in the forests and caves of the United States, Brazil and Venezuela. It mainly feeds on the blood of birds such as chickens.
- White-winged Vampire (diaemus youngi): inhabits wooded areas in Mexico, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. It has a light brown or cinnamon coat with white wing tips. It doesn't suck the blood of its prey up its body, but hangs from the branches of trees until it reaches them. It feeds on the blood of birds and cattle; in addition, it can transmit rabies.
Lamprey
THE lamprey is a type of fish very similar to the eel, whose species belong to two classes, hyperoartia and Petromyzonti. Its body is long, flexible and without scales. your mouth has suckers which it uses to adhere to the skin of its victims, and then hurt with your teeth the area of the skin from which they draw blood.
It is even described in this way that the lamprey can travel through the sea attached to its victim's body without being noticed until it has satisfied its hunger. Their fangs vary from sharks and fish even some mammals.
medicinal leech
THE leechmedicinal (Hirudo medicinalis) is an annelid found in rivers and streams across the European continent. It measures up to 30 centimeters and adheres to the skin of its victims with the suction cup that is its mouth, inside which it has teeth capable of penetrating the flesh to initiate the bleeding.
In the past, leeches were used to bleed patients as a therapeutic method, but today their effectiveness is questioned, mainly due to the risk of transmitting diseases and some parasites.
Vampire finch
O finch-vampire (Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis) is a bird endemic to the island of Galapagos. Females are brown and males are black.
This species feeds on seeds, nectar, eggs and some insects, but also drinks the blood of other birds, especially the Nazca booby and the blue-footed boob. The method you use is to make a small cut with your beak so that the blood comes out and then drink it.
candiru
O candiru or vampire fish (Vandellia cirrhosa) is related to catfish and inhabits the Amazon River. It reaches up to 20 centimeters in length and its body is almost transparent, which makes it almost undetectable in river waters.
the species is feared by the populations of the Amazon, as it has a very violent means of feeding: it enters through the orifices of its victims, including the genitals, and goes through the body to lodge and feed on the blood there. While it has not been proven that it has ever affected any human beings, there is a myth that it can.
Insects that feed on human blood
When it comes to blood-feeding species, insects stand out the most, especially those that suck human blood. Here are some of them:
Mosquito
You mosquitoes or mosquitoes are part of the insect family Culicidae, which includes 40 genera with 3,500 different species. They measure only 15 millimeters, fly and reproduce in areas with water deposits, becoming very dangerous pests in humid tropical regions, as they transmit dengue and other diseases. Males of the species feed on sap and nectar, but females drink the blood of mammals, including humans.
ticks
You ticks belong to the genus Ixoid, which includes several genera and species. They are the largest mites in the world, feed on the blood of mammals, including humans, and transmit dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease. We've already done an article on home remedies to eliminate ticks from the environment, check it out!
The tick is not only dangerous because of the diseases it transmits and because it can become a pest when infesting a house, but also because the wound it makes to suck blood can infect if the insect is pulled out of the skin incorrectly.
Boring
O boring (Phthirus pubis) is an insect that parasitizes human hair and hair. It measures only 3 millimeters and its body is yellowish. Although it is best known for infect the genitals, can also be found in hair, underarms and eyebrows.
They feed on blood several times a day, which provoke itching in the area they invade, this being the most notorious symptom of the infestation.
Straw Mosquito
O straw gnat or sand fly (Phlebotomus papatasi) is a mosquito-like insect, and can be found mainly in Europe. It measures 3 millimeters, has an almost transparent or very light color and its body has villi. It lives in humid places and males feed on nectar and other substances, but females suck blood when they are in the reproduction phase.
Flea
Under the name of flea if insects of the order are included Siphonaptera, with about 2,000 different species. They can be found all over the world, but they thrive mostly in warm climates.
The flea not only feeds on the blood of its prey, it also reproduces quickly, infesting its host. Furthermore, it transmits diseases such as typhus.
Sarcopts scabiei
O Sarcopts scabiei is responsible for the appearance of scabies or scabies in mammals, including humans. It is a very small parasite, measuring between 250 and 400 micrometers, which enters the host's skin to feed on blood and "dig" tunnels that allow it to reproduce before it dies.
bed bug
O bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is an insect that usually lives in homes, as it lodges in beds, pillows and other fabrics where it can stay close to its prey at night.
They measure only 5 millimeters in length, but they have a reddish brown color, so you can see them if you pay close attention. They feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and leave marks from their bites on the skin.
Which of these blood-feeding insects have you seen?
