Maternity colony (bats) of a maternity colony. Predators such as hawks and owls can learn to anticipate the emergence of bats from a specific roost at sunset. Smaller colonies are thought to be less risky than larger colonies, because the nightly emergence of bats would attract less attention. Maternity colony (bats) A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony
Infrared sensing in vampire bats Infrared sensing in vampire bats Vampire bats are the only known mammals whose entire nutrition relies on blood from mammals or birds. In the family Phyllostomidae and the subfamily Desmodontinae, there are three known species of vampire bats: "Desmodus rotundus" (common vampire bat), "Diphylla ecaudata" (hairy-legged vampire bat), and "Diaemus youngi" (white-winged vampire bat). Most of the referenced research on infrared sensing in vampire bats has been done on the common vampire bat because this is the most commonly found species. These bats have developed a specialized system using infrared-sensitive receptors on their nose-leaf to prey on homeothermic (warm-blooded) vertebrates.