The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)PASCUAL SORIANO
Researchers have discovered an infrared-sensing protein channel that allows vampire bats to identify the hottest part of the animal—veins close to the skin’s surface that carry 38 degree-Celsius (100° F) blood, and presumably the best spot for feeding.
The channel is a variant of TRPV1, a heat-sensing protein channel that is triggered by high temperatures that could potentially cause injury, according to the study published today (August 3) in Nature, and is distinct from the heat sensor used by snakes—the only other non-insect animals that are known to detect heat by sensing infrared radiation.
“Infrared [detection] allows these guys, in pitch black, to hunt down warm-blooded prey,” said zoologist Bill Schutt, assistant professor at Long Island University, who was not involved in the research. Here, ...
