Press Releases

November 21, 2002
A Proud Father: Bat Expert Aids Birth of Rare Vampire Species

Southampton College Prof. Bill Schutt Welcomes Bloodsucking Baby

Contact:
Darren Johnson
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Ten rare white winged vampire bats are safely ensconced in New Mexico thanks to the efforts of Southampton College Biology Professor William Schutt, who recently went on a mission in the wilds of Trinidad to rescue them from extinction.

Then, this week, Schutt got even better news: One of the bats just gave birth - the first captive birth ever in the United States (see attached release from Basically Bats).

Professor Schutt undertook his bat rescue effort this summer at the request of a non-profit organization in New Mexico that is trying to set up a facility where educators, students, and the public can see and learn about the three species of vampire bats. "After some frustration with Government officials and some neat adventures in the wild, we were able to bring 10 specimens of the rare white winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi) back to the U.S. - where all are doing just fine," said Schutt of his trip to Trinidad. In New Mexico the bats will be bred and will also be available for observational and other studies undertaken by researchers.

Schutt, a functional morphologist, is interested in research related to anatomy and what it can tell him about the evolution, behavior, and ecology of the second largest group of mammals - bats. Working closely with colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History, he used anatomy as a stepping-stone to address questions like: how do bats hang?

He has already been invited to return to Trinidad next summer to collect the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus).