The
common vampire bat (
Desmodus rotundus) is a small,
leaf-nosed bat native to the
Americas. It is one of three extant species of
vampire bat, the other two being the
hairy-legged and the
white-winged vampire bats. These species are the only known
parasitic mammals. The common vampire bat mainly feeds on the blood of
livestock, approaching its prey at night while they are sleeping. It uses its razor-sharp teeth to cut open the skin of its hosts and laps up their blood with its long tongue.