Hematophagy is the practice of feeding on blood. 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 the familiar mosquito, leech and bedbug. This gallery features some of the expected hungry creatures but some unusual ones as well. A Dracula Ant worker punctures the skin of a larva to sip its trickling blood, Galapagos Vampire Finches feeding on the blood of boobies from wounds the finches have created and parasitic isopods that latch onto fish puncturing their skin and feasting on their blood. Yes, some photos could be considered gross but all animals must survive!
