THE MAMMALS 



435 



back to them they know the nearness of solid objects and can avoid 

 them. 



Not all bats eat insects. The vampire bats of the tropics will bite a 

 person or other large animal, such as a cow, and lap up the blood as it 

 flows out. In England there is an old superstition that there are some 

 people that turn into bats by night and go around sucking blood. Such 

 people are called vampires. 



Order — Carnivora 



These are the carnivorous mammals that include meat as an impor- 

 tant item of their diet. Most of them are predatory and have strong 



Photos by Winchester 



Fig. 28.9. Cats. Even though it be a cuddly little kitten in a bowl or the huge lions, 

 tigers, or leopards of the jungle, all bear distinctive characteristics in common that 



place them in the cat family. 



agile bodies, with sharp claws and teeth ; all are adapted to catch and kill 

 animals of prey. All of their teeth are pointed, an adaptation for cutting 

 and tearing flesh ; they have no teeth for chewing, so the food is cut up 

 into small chunks and swallowed. 



The Cats. The members of this family are easily recognized by their 

 similarity to the familiar house cat. They include the lions, tigers, 



