7 scary vampire animals to know about

In mythology, vampires are called the dead who returned to life, who are forced to drink the blood of people and animals in order to maintain life within themselves. However, in real life such creatures do not exist, but in nature there are some animals that would have come in handy for this name.

Vampire bats

Scientists know about a thousand species of bats, but only three of them are blood-drinking vampires. This is a bony vampire, white-winged vampire and desmod. The first two mostly prey on birds, but the preferences of the third species are much more diverse. Desmod can also attack cattle, horses, and other animals living next to a person. By itself, his bite is not dangerous, but can act as a spread of the rabies virus.

Candiru

The most terrible among vampire animals is Kandiru. Fortunately, the only places to meet it are the waters of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers flowing in South America. The size of this small catfish is no more than a normal match. It parasitizes, as a rule, on other fish, eating from blood vessels in the gills. To satisfy the hunger, 1-2 minutes are enough for him, after which he disconnects from his victim.

Local residents are terribly afraid of this fish, because they believe that because of its small size it is able to penetrate into a person, causing severe pain. Such cases have indeed been confirmed by scientists, although the likelihood of this is very small.

Ticks

Ticks are one of the most prolific vampires on our planet. Their outer shell can stretch so much that they can drink blood 600 times their weight. Ticks love to live in warm forests, waiting for their prey in tall grass. Their bite can be the cause of a very serious disease - Lyme disease.

Lamprey

Lampreys - ancient, very creepy and similar to alien creatures that live in fresh and salt water in different parts of the world. They spend most of their lives as harmless larvae, and reach adulthood by only seven years. But immediately after that, lampreys turn into real monsters, which are attached to the underwater inhabitants with a mouth dotted with horn teeth.

Leeches

Leeches are close in nature to earthworms, but they are not blood-sucking parasites. However, since ancient times, leeches have been actively used in medicine, turning their vampire qualities to the benefit of people. These freshwater inhabitants can reduce blood clotting, help relieve pressure or stimulate blood circulation, and in Indian traditional medicine they are believed to remove infected blood from the body.

Sharp-billed earthen reel

The sharp-billed earthen finch is the only vampire bird. All year round, this species lives on the island of Darwin and eats seeds, but sometimes it replenishes its diet with blood. Piercing the skin of other birds with its sharp beak, the finch drinks blood, which begins to flow from the wound.

Hellish vampire

This animal, also called the infernal vampire squid, is considered one of the most unique and mysterious creatures on the planet. In the course of research, scientists assigned him a separate biological order called Vampyromorphida. The big-eyed mollusk does not exceed 15 centimeters in length and lives in the waters of the ocean at great depths - up to 920 meters. His huge eyes help him see in the darkness of the depths, and the body is able to glow and change color. Despite its awesome name, the infernal vampire does not feed on blood. They called it that because of the membranes, which in case of danger act as a shield.