The world harbours many interesting, yet sometimes frightful creatures, where every creature utilises the environment in really strange survival strategies that are unique to each one of them. From the animal kingdom, a small group feeds on the blood of living organisms.
Scientifically called hematophagy, these animals feed on blood and have developed special adaptive features that help them to absorb and consume blood from their hosts. This process often includes methods and substances such as anticoagulants to avoid clotting and anesthetics that minimise detection by their hosts.
Learning about such creatures provides us the knowledge about the diverse forms of life on Earth and also helps us know about the relationships between predators and their prey these hematophages, blood-sucking animals play a crucial role in their respective ecosystems. Here are five key blood-drinking animals and their behaviors, and how amazingly they adapt and survive in their environments.
