A bat from Mexico through much of South America that feeds on animal blood.
It has grayish-brown fur, a short muzzle and pointed ears, with no tail.
In Lagoa Santa Karst, Minas Gerais, researchers checked 66 caves monthly from November 2009 to May 2011. They found 14 bat species in 32 caves. Common vampire bats repeatedly used the same caves, including maternity roosts. Caves with greater horizontal development were more likely to hold bats; measured temperature and humidity did not differ between occupied and empty caves.
The study calls the limestone outcrops holding its roost caves protected, while other local karst faced pressure, mainly from the calcining industry. This points to protecting the limestone landscape around roosts, not only cave entrances. The work covers one area and period; it does not establish a current population trend or a species-wide conservation category.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Protecting limestone outcrops around roost caves matters in this study area. The paper reports that the outcrops containing sampled roost caves were protected, while other karst habitat in the region faced pressure from the calcining industry. This is a 2009–2011 local record and does not provide a current species-level conservation category or assessment date.