It's vampire bat season! It is a common misconception that vampire bats suck blood. They actually cut a tiny slit in an animal’s skin with their razor-sharp front teeth and lap up the blood. Chemicals in the bat’s saliva prevent clotting so the blood flows freely until it has had its fill, which is generally less than an ounce. | Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

29K views · 1.4K reactions | Thanks to a local anesthetic in their spit, vampire bats are able to drink blood from their prey without being detected. That way, they can feed undisturbed for up to a half hour at a time. Crazy Monsters | Smithsonian Channel | Facebook

Are vampire bats really out for human blood? Can they be stopped with garlic and silver bullets? | Crazy Creatures