Nov 19, 2015 · Undergraduate Lauren Leffer and I just published a paper in PLOS One entitled Social Grooming in Bats: Are Vampire Bats Exceptional? The answer, I think, is yes. Here's the story behind the paper.

Jan 20, 2025 · Far from being dirty, bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Some even groom each other. Besides having sleek fur, cleaning also helps control parasites.

Oct 12, 2019 · Female bats cluster together for warmth, share food, and groom their cuddle-mates by licking each other’s fur. Being groomed can reduce stress, lower heart rate, and promote cooperation. It’s clear that bats benefit from being groomed, but not why others volunteer to be the groomer.

We compared social grooming rates of common vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and four other group-living bats, Artibeus jamaicensis, Carollia perspicillata, Eidolon helvum and Rousettus aegyptiacus, under the same captive conditions of fixed association and no ectoparasites.

Oct 18, 2019 · Female bats cluster together for warmth, share food, and groom their cuddle-mates by licking each other’s fur. Being groomed can reduce stress, lower heart rate, and promote cooperation. It’s...

Jun 18, 2020 · Like cats, bats spend a lot of time grooming to stay clean and to keep their wing in good shape. This Big Brown Bat is performing routine cleaning in prepara...

Oct 13, 2015 · A new study has shown social grooming behaviour is more prevalent in vampire bat species than their non-parasitic variants. The researchers used the species Desmodus rotundus and found that the bats spent 1.5-6.3 per cent of their time engaged in social grooming, compared with just 0.5 per cent in other species.

May 20, 2024 · Through grooming, vocalizing, cooperation, maternal care, and courtship rituals bats demonstrate attachment. Learning about how bats show care for one another gives us insight into their intelligence, capacity for emotion, and social complexity.

Mar 4, 2025 · Vampire bats, despite their spooky reputation, are fascinating creatures with complex social lives. They interact with each other through a variety of behaviors ranging from cooperative feeding to intimate grooming sessions and sophisticated communication.

Oct 30, 2015 · Vampire bats, which live in Latin America and feed at night on the blood of large animals like cows and deer, are surprisingly brainy and social creatures, engaging in certain …