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Hundreds of tiny bats fly out of a dark cave. These are not ordinary bats. These are vampire bats—and they are out for blood.

Vampire bats live in hot, steamy areas of South America. They come out at night to feed on animals such as cows and horses. The bat uses its sharp teeth to scrape away a patch of the animal's hair or fur. Then the bat makes a tiny cut in its skin.

The bat drinks about two tablespoons of blood. Often, the animal sleeps and never feels a thing!

Vampire bats aren't the only animals that eat this way. Eating blood is called hematophagy. Blood is easy to find and full of nourishment. Blood eaters are easy to find, too. Is there one near you?

Vampire bats live only in the tropics. Yet leeches live all over the world. A freshwater leech has a mouth at each end of its body. Each mouth is a powerful sucker. The suckers attach the leech to its prey. The suckers also draw out blood.

The leech uses its sharp teeth or proboscis to pierce the skin. Then the leech sucks up the blood. Once the leech is full, it drops off.

Leeches are pretty gross. Yet they can be helpful! Doctors sometimes use leeches to help sick people. So you see, leeches aren't all bad.

Mites and bedbugs live in people's homes—yuck! Mites are so tiny you can't see them. They can hide anywhere. Blood-sucking mites ride into a house on another insect or a pet. Their bite can cause an itchy rash.

Bedbugs hide in spaces near beds. They come out at night to feed on the person who is sleeping. Bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed. But they get bigger as they fill up with blood. Ugh! Their bites leave itchy bumps on the skin.

Ticks are arthropods that live in wooded places. They cannot jump or fly. Instead, they cling to leaves or grass. When an animal or person brushes past, the tick grabs on.

A tick goes under the skin to feed. As it slowly fills up with blood, the host may not even know it's there!

Ticks may carry diseases. So if you go hiking, try not to touch tall grass or bushes. Wear white clothes. Ticks are easy to spot on white. Check your clothes for ticks after a hike.

If you live near water, watch out for the mama mosquito! She wants your blood. Not for herself, but for her eggs. Blood has lots of nourishment that her eggs need.

A mosquito's proboscis has six needles. Some are used to pierce skin. Other needles make the cut bigger.

The mosquito sucks blood through one tube. She spits saliva through a second tube. The saliva may be dangerous. It can carry disease.

Protect yourself from mosquitoes! Get rid of standing water in your yard. Cover up your body when mosquitoes are buzzing around. And when you hear that "Buz-z-z-z" take aim and slap!

The bites from some kinds of mosquitoes can be deadly. They may carry diseases from person to person. These diseases, such as malaria and West Nile virus, cause big problems in some parts of the world.

There are many blood feeders around. Even some birds, such as the ox pecker, are blood-feeders! Don't get creeped out. Just use common sense outdoors. You'll keep your body safe from creatures that are out for blood!

Article by Shirleyann Costigan. Top-of-page photograph by Michael & Patricia Fogden/Minden Pictures/National Geographic Image Collection. "Out for Blood" appears on page 18 of the October 2008 issue.