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, even some that seek their nutrients in the droppings of other animals!
Among all these, there are some who enjoy blood, including human! If you want to know them, then you can't miss this article on animals that feed on bloodYou will discover what animals that feed on blood are called and 12 examples of animals that feed on blood. Keep reading!
What are animals that feed on blood called?
Animals that feed on blood are known as hematophagous animals Most of them are parasitesof the animals they feed on, but not all. These species are disease vectors, as they transmit bacteria and viruses found in the blood of their victims from one animal to another.
Contrary to what is shown in movies and on television, animals that feed on blood are not insatiable beasts thirsty for this vital substance, but simply represent another type of food.
Next, find out what these animals are. How many of them have you seen before?
Animals that feed on blood
Here are some animals that base their diet on blood:
Vampire bat
Honoring the fame that cinema has given it by relating it to Dracula, there is a kind of vampire bat that feeds on blood. It presents 3 subspecies that are:
- Common Vampire (Desmodus rotundus): It is common in Chile, Mexico and Argentina, where it prefers to live in areas with much vegetation. It shows short fur, flattened snout and is able to move on its 4 limbs. This blood sucker feeds on cattle, dogs, and very rarely on humans. The method he uses is to make a small cut on the skin of his victims and suck the blood that flows through it.
- Hairy-legged Vampire (Diphylla ecaudata): It has a brown body on the back and gray on the abdomen. It prefers to live in the forests and caves of the United States, Brazil and Venezuela. It feeds mainly on the blood of poultry, such as chickens.
- White-winged Vampire (Diaemus youngi): Inhabits tree-filled areas in Mexico, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has light brown or cinnamon fur with white wing tips. It does not suck the blood of its prey by climbing on its body, but hangs from the branches of the trees until it reaches them. It feeds on the blood of birds and cattle; it can also transmit rabies.
Lamprey
The lamprey is a type of fish that is very similar to the eel whose species belong to two classes, Hyperoartia and Petromyzonti. Its body is long, flexible and scaleless. In its mouth it has some suction cups that it uses to stick to the skin of its victims, and then wounds with its teeththe area of skin where the blood will be drawn.
Under the described system, the lamprey can travel through the sea attached to the body of its victim without being noticed until it has satiated its hunger. Their prey is varied, from sharks and fish to some mammals.
Medicinal leech
The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is an annelid found in rivers and streams throughout Europe. 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 piercing the flesh to start bleeding.
In ancient times leeches were used to bleed patients as a therapeutic method, but today their effectiveness is questioned, especially due to the risk of transmitting diseases and some parasites.
Vampire Finch
The Vampire Finch (Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis) is an endemic bird of the Galapagos Island. The females are brown and the 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 booby. The method it uses is to make a small cut with its beak until the blood spurts out and then drink it.
Candirú
The candirú or vampire fish (Vandellia cirrhosa) is related to the catfish and lives in the Amazon River. It reaches up to 20 centimeters in length and its body is almost transparent, making it almost undetectable in the river waters.
The species is feared by the populations of the Amazon, since it has a rather violent way of feeding: it enters the holes of its victims, including the genitals, and passes through the body to lodge inside and feed on blood from there. Although it is not proven that it has affected a human being, there is a myth that it can.
Insects that feed on human blood
When talking about species that feed on blood, insects stand out the most, especially those that suck human blood for nourishment. Here are some of them.
Mosquito
The mosquitos or mosquitoes are part of the mosquito family Culicidae insects, which includes 40 genera with 3500 different species. They measure only 15 millimeters, they fly and reproduce in areas with water deposits, which is why they become very dangerous pests in humid tropical regions, since They transmit dengue and other diseases. The males of the species feed on sap and nectar, but the females drink the blood of mammals, including humans.
Tick
The tick belongs to the genus Ixodoidea, under which several genera and species are included. It is the world's largest mite, it feeds on the blood of mammals, including humans, and transmits dangerous diseases, such as Lyme disease.
The tick is not only dangerous because of the diseases it transmits and because it can become a silver when it infests a home, but also the wound it makes to suck blood can become infected if the insect is picked from the skin incorrectly.
Crabs
The crab (Phthirus pubis) is an insect that parasites human hair. It measures only 3 millimeters and its body is yellowish. Although best known for infesting the genitals, it can also be found in the hair, armpits, and eyebrows.
They feed on blood several times a day, which is why they cause pruritus in the area they invade, this being the most notorious symptom of the infestation.
Gnat
The midge (Phlebotomus papatasi) is a mosquito-like insect that 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 the males feed on nectar and other substances, but females suck blood when they are in the reproductive phase.
Flea
Under the name of flea insects of the order Siphonaptera are included, which includes around 2000 different species. They can be found all over the world, but thrive mostly in hot climates.
The flea not only feeds on the blood of its prey, but also reproduces rapidly, infesting the host. In addition, it transmits diseases, such as typhus.
Scabies Plower
The scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) is responsible for the appearance of scabies or scabies in mammals, including humans. It is a very small parasite, barely 250 to 400 microns, that burrows into the host's skin to feed on blood and "dig" tunnels that allow it to reproduce Before die.
Bug
The bug (Cimex lectularius) is an insect that usually lives in houses, as it lives in beds, pillows and other fabrics where it can be close to its prey at night.
They are only 5 millimeters long, but have a reddish-brown color, so you can see them if you pay close attention. It feeds on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and leaves bite marks on the skin in its wake.
These are some of the insects that feed on blood, how many of them have you seen?
