Buzz
If you've been online recently, you've likely come across chilling reports of bedbug invasions. These tiny bloodsuckers invade homes, hiding in the most obscure corners before emerging at night to feast on your blood. Just reading about them can send shivers down your spine, not to mention how difficult they are to get rid of.
But bedbugs aren't the only bloodthirsty creatures. The natural world is full of animals that will happily drain their prey’s blood for a satisfying and nutritious meal. Here are ten more creatures with an appetite for blood.
10. Vampire Bat
One of the most notorious bloodsuckers in the animal kingdom is the vampire bat from Central and South America. Three closely related species of these bats feed exclusively on blood they extract from vertebrate animals. Their method of feeding is both ingenious and unsettling.
The vampire bats have developed various traits that enable them to steal blood undetected. Rather than swooping down from the sky and drawing attention, they silently crawl along the ground during the night and hop onto their target, which they locate using heat sensors in their noses. Once they have found their prey, they latch on and use their razor-sharp teeth to trim away any fur around the area they aim to bite. These teeth are unique in that they lack enamel and are much sharper than those of other mammals. A small incision is then made in the skin, allowing the blood to flow from the host.
Don't worry, though—you won’t feel a thing. The bite is apparently painless, likely due to an anesthetic compound in the bat’s saliva. This saliva also contains a protein humorously named Draculin, which prevents the blood from clotting, allowing the bat to feed uninterrupted for up to 30 minutes. While vampire bats typically target animals like horses, cattle, goats, and birds, there have been occasional reports of humans being a warm, convenient meal during sleep.
9. Lamprey
Lampreys are odd-looking fish with a peculiar life cycle. Many hatch from their eggs as almost blind larvae and burrow into the soft sand. There, they spend years feeding on floating detritus in the water, gradually growing. After several years, they emerge as fully developed adults. In some species, the adults never feed and rely on stored nutrients from their larval stage to search for mates. However, other species do feed—and their appetite is for blood.
This bloodthirsty trait has been part of the lamprey’s existence since the Jurassic Era, giving them plenty of time to refine their hunting methods. The lamprey’s mouth is a suction funnel lined with concentric rows of sharp teeth. They use these teeth to latch onto other fish and gnaw their way into their flesh. Once attached, they siphon blood from their prey, leaving behind significant scars.
For reasons that remain unclear, lampreys hold the record for the highest number of chromosomes among vertebrate species, with some individuals possessing as many as 174.
8. Kissing Bugs
While most blood-sucking creatures are named after vampires—for obvious reasons—these creatures somehow got the endearing name of kissing bugs. Though bedbugs often steal the spotlight when it comes to vampiric insects, at least they’re tiny. Kissing bugs, on the other hand, can grow up to an inch long (2.54 cm). One of the first European reports of kissing bugs feeding on humans came from Charles Darwin, who referred to “an attack (for it deserves no less a name).” He observed how the bugs would rush toward any finger placed on a table.
The kissing bugs become hugely bloated as they feed on their prey’s blood. In fact, they can consume more than twelve times their body weight in a single meal. Where do they strike? They prefer to target sleeping mammals, aiming for the delicate skin around the eyes and mouth, but they’ll settle for any exposed skin.
For most people, the attack goes unnoticed, but it can lead to severe consequences. As the insect fills up with blood, the pressure forces it to expel urine and feces. These waste products may carry the organisms responsible for Chagas disease. If these enter the host’s body, they can cause serious heart damage and, in some cases, even death.
7. Oxpecker
In nature, there are often fascinating interactions between species that benefit both parties. These mutualistic relationships are sometimes romanticized as animal friendships. However, the connection between the oxpecker bird and the large mammals it visits is far from friendly.
Oxpeckers are found in Africa and, as their name suggests, are frequently seen pecking at oxen, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, and hippopotamuses. In Swahili, their name translates to 'Rhino guard.' For a long time, it was believed that the birds were simply helping the larger animals by feeding on ticks and other parasites.
However, it was soon observed that the birds sometimes deliberately wound the animals and reopen old injuries. Once this is done, they dip their beaks into the exposed flesh and drink the blood. The animals visited by oxpeckers have more to fear than just their blood. The birds will also feed on loose skin flakes and earwax.
6. Horse Flies
Horseflies play an important role in helping many plant species. They enjoy sipping nectar from flowers, and in doing so, they aid in pollination by transferring pollen from one plant to another. However, when it's time for the females to reproduce, they seek a more unique kind of drink.
The female horsefly's mouthparts are specially designed to feed through the skin of vertebrates. Attached to their mouths are razor-sharp stylets. When the horsefly lands on its prey, it latches on and thrusts its head forward to puncture the skin. Then, it begins to move the stylets back and forth, creating a wound. As blood pools in the wound, the horsefly soaks it up and swallows. The female horsefly requires blood to obtain the necessary nutrients to develop her eggs.
While some blood-feeding creatures have the decency to inject an anesthetic, making the feeding process painless, horseflies do not. Their bites can be very itchy and painful, lingering long after the fly has left to begin laying its eggs.
5. Cooper’s Nutmeg
Sea snails are generally known for their beautifully intricate shells. Most of them feed by grazing on algae growing on rocks or by munching on seaweed, barnacles, and other mollusks. However, Cooper’s nutmeg, Cancellaria cooperii, a snail native to the west coast of the United States, seeks a more exotic diet.
Cooper’s nutmeg has an interesting approach to feeding—it targets electric ray fish resting on the ocean floor. These snails appear to have a taste for danger. Electric rays can produce powerful electrical pulses to stun prey and deter predators. Once within reach, the snail extends its proboscis, makes a small incision with its teeth, and proceeds to drink the fish's blood.
These snails seem to have a preference for one particular species of ray, and when they find one, they often attack in groups. As many as twelve snails have been seen feeding on a single fish, biting into wounds, skin, gills, and even the anus of the electric ray.
4. Candiru
While the piranha may be the most infamous fish of the Amazon River, its reputation as a man-eater has been exaggerated. Many piranhas consume fruits, seeds, and detritus, as well as other animals. In contrast, the candiru focuses solely on attacking other animals.
The candiru is a parasitic fish found in the Amazon River that preys on catfish. It is drawn to the urea released by the fish through their gills. Upon detecting this, the candiru zeroes in on its target and swiftly enters the gills. Using spikes on its head, it attaches itself to the fish and pierces the gill arteries. The fish’s blood pressure pushes the blood into the parasite, and within minutes, the candiru is satiated and swims off.
There have been persistent rumors that human males are at risk of a candiru attack when urinating in the Amazon River. Allegedly, the candiru mistakes the warmth and urine for a fish, swimming directly into the urethra where it becomes lodged with its spikes. Thankfully, there are no confirmed instances of this occurring.
3. Vampire Ground Finch
Charles Darwin is famous for studying finches on the Galapagos Islands and using his observations to support his theory of evolution. However, he never encountered the vampire ground finch, which could have given him more food for thought.
Vampire ground finches are small birds with sharp beaks, used to consume fruits and insects found on the islands. When their regular food sources are scarce, the finches resort to a bloodier diet. They target the tails of larger birds like boobies at their nesting sites. With persistent pecking, they break the skin and drink the fluid that flows from the wounds. While the larger birds sometimes resist, many allow the finches to feed without much trouble.
The finches don’t limit their hunger to just adult birds. When food is scarce, they raid other birds' nests, rolling the eggs away, cracking them open, and feasting on the contents inside.
2. Vampire Moths
Moths and butterflies are often seen as delicate, beautiful creatures that flutter around, spreading joy. However, even the most charming of animals can have disturbing diets. Some butterflies are known to sip tears, and certain moths have a peculiar taste for blood.
One such moth is the Calyptra thalictra, which is found throughout Asia. Typically, they use their proboscis to pierce fruit skins and drink the sweet juices inside. But the males of this species sometimes target mammals, including humans. Their mouthparts are not perfectly suited for this, making blood-drinking a challenging task. The male moth lands on its prey and must rock back and forth to push the tip of its proboscis through the skin. Once it succeeds, it draws the blood up into its stomach.
It is believed that the males feed on blood to acquire nutrients that they pass to the females along with their sperm to support the development of their young.
1. Evarcha culicivora
Mosquitoes are one of humanity’s deadliest enemies, known for their blood-sucking habits. They spread a variety of lethal diseases as they go about biting humans. However, after mosquitoes feast on human blood, they themselves become prey to another bloodthirsty predator.
The jumping spider Evarcha culicivora, found around Lake Victoria in Africa, has developed a taste for mosquitoes that have recently fed on mammals. While these spiders also enjoy nectar from plants, they are drawn to mosquitoes that have recently gorged themselves on blood. Research has shown that these spiders rely on both scent and sight to tell the difference between mosquitoes that have recently eaten and those that haven’t.
Some scientists believe that these spiders could become a useful tool in controlling mosquito populations and the dangerous diseases they transmit.
