Hemovores, also called hematophagous animals or bloodsuckers, are certain animals that feed on blood, the practice of which is called hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) (from the Greek words αἷμα "haima" "blood" and φαγεῖν "phagein" "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without great effort, hematophagy is a preferred form of feeding for many small animals, such as worms and arthropods. Some intestinal nematodes, such as ancylostomatids, feed on blood extracted from the capillaries of the gut, and about 75 percent of all species of leeches (e.g., the European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis)), free-living worms, are hematophagous. Some fish, such as lampreys and candirus, and mammals, especially the vampire bats, and birds, such as the vampire finches, hood mockingbirds, the Tristan thrush, and oxpeckers also practice hematophagy.
This category is for species that primarily consume blood in at least one stage of their life.
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Northern House Mosquito -
Red-billed Oxpecker -
Southern House Mosquito -
Vampire Bat -
Deceptive Forest Leech -
Brown Dog Tick
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