Vampire bats make friends by sharing regurgitated blood in a “kind of horrifying French kiss”, scientists have found.
A study discovered that when vampire bats became isolated in a roost, pairs of strangers in close proximity would begin grooming, then “mouth-licking” before swapping food.
If bats go three days without eating, they can die, so sharing blood can be life-saving.
Professor Gerald Carter of Ohio State University said a lot of birds regurgitate food to share with offspring but “what’s special with vampire bats is they do this for other adults”.
His study was published in Current Biology.
