Common vampire bat

Desmodus rotundus

Venomous mammals🦷 Bites

Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

Common vampire bat belongs to the group: Venomous mammals. It lives in: North America, South America.2

Lives in

North America, South America2

Length

8 cm (3.1 in)2

typical adult size

Top speed

about 20 km/h (12 mph)

Flying, rough guess

Venom power

Bites

Venom comes out through its fangs or teeth when it bites.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

🚑 If it bites or stings

Wash the wound well and get medical help.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

⛑️ Stay safe

Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.

It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe

Where in the world?

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Australia & Oceania The oceans

How big is it?

How long is it?

as long as 2.5 toy building bricks in a rowcould fly across a whole football pitch in 19 seconds

How big is Common vampire bat compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)

Common vampire bat about 20 km/h (12 mph)

A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)

For venom experts

Scientific name: Desmodus rotundus
Group: Venomous mammals
Family: Phyllostomidae1
Order: Chiroptera
Continents: North America, South America
Danger to people: 2 / 5: Painful2

Where the facts come from

Desmodus rotundus (iNaturalist): names and classification.
Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@venomwiki.app and we will fix it.

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