00:00Bats might be known as the only flying mammals, but now researchers are putting their other modes
00:08of locomotion to the test. These are the famed vampire bats, creatures known for their blood
00:13only diets. This diet has long baffled scientists, as while blood-sucking insects fuel themselves by
00:18metabolizing amino acids in blood, mammals tend to get most of their energy from carbs. So to
00:23test this, they had the flying creatures fuel up on the red stuff and then go for a run. Running
00:28was used over flying as the bats are actually pretty good at moving around on the ground and
00:32they are also far easier to track that way to measure their movement with more accuracy,
00:36with the researchers finding that vampires share a common trait with other biologically distant
00:40bloodsuckers. Writing in their study, we found vampire bats can fuel most of their running with
00:45amino acids in a blood meal eaten only minutes before, just like some insects. They added that
00:50it seems metabolic evolution can be shaped by a specialized diet with creatures adapting to
00:56what's available in their habitats.
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