Sharing food reflects a strong bond between mammals. Be it humans, cattle or hounds; Everyone loves to share the feast with their kin. A new study out of The Ohio State University, Columbus, has found that blood-sucking vampire bats also like to share a sip or two with bats with whom they have developed a social connection. Earlier research has churned out evidence that bats initially came out to forage individually rather than as a group. But, during the hunt, bats that establish social ties associated with the bats intersect during the hunt, indicating some sort of coordination on the bait.
The researchers believe that the accumulation of bats in groups during their blood hunt sprouted from these bonds formed in the roost, which are then used when competing with other groups for preferred bait. The team installed digital proximity sensors on the backs of 50 female vampire bats, some of which were briefly held captive. These bats spend their day in a tree hide and go out at night in search of food resources.
Study co-author Simon Riperger, in addition to tracking the formation of groups, also recorded novel and distinctive sounds that bats make to aid in the process of grouping and foraging. “I could hear them making sounds, even though they were the only bats on the injured cow. The back-and-forth exchange of sounds suggests that they interact while feeding on cattle hounds,” he said.
“Understanding their activity outside the roost can give us a deeper insight into what really happens in bat colonies. The coordination observed in vampire bats during grazing indicates a greater degree of cooperation within their colonies,” Gerald Carter, co-author, said in a press release.
He continued, “Everything we have read surrounds the nest and the events taking place inside it. However, this is the first time that bats have been observed using internal interactions for outdoor activities. “
The study also showed evidence of interactions during periods varying in terms of duration and intensity.
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