Vampire bat
Status
Least Concern
Classification
Mammal
Exhibit
Small Mammal House
Blood Thirsty
In the wild, vampire bats exclusively eat fresh mammalian blood, mostly from domestic hoofstock including cattle and horses.
Feeding our Vampire Bats
At the Zoo, our vampire bats also feast on fresh blood. How you might ask? We work with the Block and Bridle Club at Penn State where scientists collect blood from cattle at the university. The blood is then frozen and delivered to the Zoo. This important partnership serves as a fundraiser for the Club while providing clean blood from humanely-raised and housed animals for our bats.