General 

Common vampire bat

Common Vampire Bat
Desmodus rotundus Common Vampire Bat image
Size: body=8 cm; weight=30 g 
Description: Moderately large greyish brown bat with short glossy fur. Front upper teeth are very sharp and blade-like. Thumbs are long and very well-developed. 
Activity: Agile flier, leaves roost well after dark. 
Habits: Obligate blood feeder. Preys on domesticated and wild mammals. Usually lands on the ground and approaches animal on thumbs and feet. Can leap up onto prey in a single bound. Cuts a bit of flesh with its sharp teeth and an anticoagulant in the vampire’s saliva allows it to lap up the blood that is pooling on the wound. Roosts in hollow trees and caves. Stable female groups of 8 to 12 are formed with males competing for access. Their complex social structure includes regurgitating blood meals to those that have not fed. 
Habitat: Primary forest (where their densities seem naturally low), but they are more numerous near farmland. 
Status: Often common. 
Distribution in Iwokrama

Iwokrama Riverlodge COVID-19 Tourism Protocols

Providing assurance for a clean and healthy environment for visitors and staff at Iwokrama locations. The Iwokrama Hygiene and Sanitation Protocol is an addition to Iwokrama’s Safety and Health Manual. This new protocol is implemented as a result of the COVID – 19 Pandemic. It includes new guidelines and procedures to ensure a safe and healthy environment for staff, tourists and other visitors. This Protocol is subject to change without notice and is based on current Government of Guyana regulations and other health and safety best practices.