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Infrared sensing in vampire bats

Desmodus picture
Vampire bat Desmodus rotundus.

Vampire bats have developed a specialized system using infrared-sensitive receptors on their nose-leaf to prey on homeothermic (warm-blooded) vertebrates.[1] Trigeminal nerve fibers that innervate these IR-sensitive receptors may be involved in detection of infrared thermal radiation emitted by their prey. This may aid bats in locating blood-rich areas on their prey.[1][2] In addition, neuroanatomical and molecular research has suggested possible similarities of IR-sensing mechanisms between vampire bats and IR-sensitive snakes.[2][3][4][5] Infrared sensing in vampire bats has not yet been hypothesized to be image forming, as it was for IR-sensitive snakes.[6] While the literature on IR-sensing in vampire bats is thin, progress continues to be made in this field to identify how vampire bats can sense and use infrared thermal radiation.

Vampire bats are the only known mammals whose entire nutrition relies on blood from mammals or birds. In the family Phyllostomidae and the subfamily Desmodontinae, there are three known species of vampire bats: Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat), Diphylla ecaudata (hairy-legged vampire bat), and Diaemus youngi (white-winged vampire bat).[7] Most of the referenced research on infrared sensing in vampire bats has been done on the common vampire bat because this is the most commonly found species.[8]

  1. ^ a b Kürten, Ludwig; Schmidt, Uwe (1982). "Thermoperception in the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)". Journal of Comparative Physiology. 146 (2): 223–228. doi:10.1007/BF00610241.
  2. ^ a b Kishida, Reiji; Goris, Richard C.; Terashima, Shin-Ichi; Dubbeldam, Jacob L. (1984). "A suspected infrared-recipient nucleus in the brainstem of the vampire bat,Desmodus rotundus". Brain Research. 322 (2): 351–355. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(84)90132-x. PMID 6509324.
  3. ^ Kürten, Ludwig; Schmidt, Uwe; Schäfer, Klaus (1984). "Warm and Cold Receptors in the Nose of the Vampire Bat Desmodus rotundus". Naturwissenschaften. 71 (6): 327–328. doi:10.1007/BF00396621. PMID 6472483.
  4. ^ Gracheva, Elena O.; Ingolia, Nicholas T.; Kelly, Yvonne M.; Cordero-Morales, Julio F.; Hollopeter, Gunther; Chesler, Alexander T.; Sánchez, Elda E.; Perez, John C.; Weissman, Jonathan S.; Julius, David (2010). "Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes". Nature. 464 (7291): 1006–11. doi:10.1038/nature08943. PMC 2855400. PMID 20228791.
  5. ^ Gracheva, Elena O.; Codero-Morales, Julio F.; González-Carcaía, José A.; Ingolia, Nicholas T.; Manno, Carlo; Aranguren, Carla I.; Weissman, Jonathan S.; Julius, David (2011). "Ganglion-specific splicing of TRPV1 underlies infrared sensation in vampire bats". Nature. 476 (7358): 88–91. doi:10.1038/nature10245. PMC 3535012. PMID 21814281.
  6. ^ Newman, E.A.; Hartline, P.H. (1982). "The Infrared 'vision' of snakes". Scientific American. 20: 116–127.
  7. ^ Tellgren-Roth, Åsa; Dittmar, Katharina; Massey, Steven E.; Kemi, Cecillia; Tellgren-Roth, Christian; Savolainen, Peter; Lyons, Leslie A.; Liberles, David A. (2009). "Keeping the blood flowing – plasminogen activator genes and feeding behavior in vampire bats". Naturwissenschaften. 96 (1): 39–47. doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0446-0.
  8. ^ Mulheisen, M. and R. Anderson. 2001. Animal Diversity Web. "Desmodus rotundus." Accessed November 14, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmodus_rotundus.html.