V. sanguinea can be found in the freshwater rivers of South America. Although capable of swimming freely, as observed when scavenging for prey, V. sanguinea tend to stay buried under the muddy substrate or seek shelter under rocks or logs during the day (Zuanon and Sazima, 2003). They can be found at a variety of altitudes, from flooded lowland forests to high-elevation streams in the Andes (Fernandez and Schaefer, 2009).