false vampire bat
"False vampire bats" are carnivorous bats that were once thought to suck blood but actually feed on insects and small animals.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Zoology
(technical, academic)A large bat belonging to the family Megadermatidae, characterized by prominent ears and a nose-leaf, which feeds on insects and small vertebrates.
Example
- The false vampire bat uses its keen senses to hunt for insects and small animals at night.
C1Zoology
(technical, academic)A bat species from the family Phyllostomatidae that preys on insects, rodents, birds, and occasionally other bats, but does not consume blood.
Example
- Despite its name, the false vampire bat does not drink blood but hunts for small prey.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "false vampire bat":
ghost batharpy batdead batevening batbaby vamptime vampirevampire timebig brown batflying fox