Who better than a Ph.D. in zoology who kept his own captive colony of white-winged vampire bats at Cornell to entertain us with tales of various blood sucking creatures?

Most species of bat (there are more than 1,100) don't feed on blood, but the three that do fascinate us in morbid fashion far more than most will admit. If you are so peculiarly inclined, then read on for a rich tale about some very specialized mammals. How do they do it? How do they ever digest the stuff? Are we humans in danger? And, in a little known historical aside, what was it that killed George Washington?

And then there are some other unique blood suckers: the vampire finch of the Galapagos (mostly a curiosity); the devilish little candiru of the Amazon (be careful where you pee during your next eco-adventure!); and the lowly bedbug about whom the doggerel is quite true: "The June bug comes in the month of June; the Mayfly comes in May. The bedbug comes whenever he wants; and he always comes to stay."

Schutt may have a doctorate in zoology but he has also mastered the pen along the way.

And, he gets an A+ for his droll sense of humor.