Footage of feeding by the hairy-legged vampire bat Diphylla ecaudata refutes the hypothesis that this vampire bat sucks

Close footage taken of a captive <i>Diphylla ecaudata</i> feeding on a chicken near the cloaca. Filmed in Mexico in December, 2007. Chicken was held upside down. This footage refutes an argument by Greenhall (1988) in his chapter on feeding behavior in the book "The Natural History of Vampire Bats" (Greenhall &amp; Schmidt, 1988, CRC Press). He writes on pages 127-128:<br>"The actual biting by <i>Diphylla</i> has never been described...Because of the difference in head morphology of <i>Desmodus</i> when compared to <i>Diphylla</i>, it is reasonable to surmise that the feeding behavior would be completely different...In viewing the photographs of <i>Diphylla</i>, both front and profile, noticing the broad and flexible lips, and keeping in mind the features of <i>Diphylla</i>, I speculate: that if the bat covered a wound made in the cloacal area with its lips and mouth, it could make an effective seal and then apply suction. <i>Diphylla</i> could feed in the simple, uncomplicated manner of "Dracula" not possible for <i>Desmodus</i> and <i>Diaemus</i>."<br>This footage shows <i>Diphylla ecaudata</i> using typical licking behavior to obtain blood from the bite. The wound is itself notable in being a clean "slice" wound rather than a crater-like wound resulting from a typical <i>Desmodus rotundus</i> bite. <br>The still image shows the position in which the bat attaches itself, with feet clinging to the tail feathers.

本影像为圈养白翼吸血蝠（Diphylla ecaudata）在泄殖腔附近吸食鸡血的特写镜头，拍摄于2007年12月的墨西哥，实验鸡被倒置固定。
本影像驳斥了格林哈尔（Greenhall）于1988年在《吸血蝙蝠的自然历史》（Greenhall & Schmidt, 1988，CRC出版社）中关于摄食行为章节所提出的论点。其在该书第127至128页写道：
"目前尚无关于白翼吸血蝠实际叮咬行为的描述……由于普通吸血蝠属（Desmodus）与白翼吸血蝠的头部形态存在差异，我们有理由推测二者的摄食行为完全不同……通过观察白翼吸血蝠的正面与侧面照片，注意到其宽阔且富有弹性的唇部，并结合该物种的形态特征，我做出如下推测：若蝙蝠用唇部和口腔包裹泄殖腔区域的伤口，可形成有效密封并施加抽吸作用。白翼吸血蝠能够以‘德古拉’式的简单直接方式进食，这是普通吸血蝠属与毛腿吸血蝠属（Diaemus）所不具备的。"
本影像显示，白翼吸血蝠通过典型的舔舐行为从叮咬伤口处获取血液。该伤口的特殊之处在于呈现干净的“切割伤”形态，而非普通吸血蝠（Desmodus rotundus）叮咬后常见的火山口状伤口。
静态图像展示了该蝙蝠的附着姿态：其足部抓附于鸡的尾羽之上。