Scientists figure out how vampire bats got a taste for blood

By CHRISTINA LARSON
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have figured out why vampire bats are the only mammals that can survive on a diet of just blood. They compared vampire bats to 26 other bat species and identified 13 genes that are missing or no longer work in vampire bats. Over the years, those gene tweaks helped them adapt to a blood diet rich in iron and protein but with minimal fats or carbohydrates. The bats live in South and Central America and steal blood from livestock and other animals. The researchers reported their findings Friday in the journal Scientific Advances.