By Jake Buehler
It turns out that humans aren’t the only species that practices social distancing in response to infectious disease. A pair of new studies reveals that vampire bats become socially and physically isolated from other colony members when they feel ill.
“Vampire bats are extremely social,” says Sebastian Stockmaier at the University of Texas at Austin, in the US. These bats form strong ties not just with their kin, he says, but with other members of their colony, building relationships through grooming and food …