All animals deserve kindness, compassion, and respect-even spiders, bats, snakes, ravens, owls, wolves, and other animals who are typically maligned at Halloween. If you think "yuck" or "yikes" when you see one of these animals, chances are they think the same thing about you. They may not all win beauty contests, but these so-called "creepy" animals have some fascinating traits.
So when you see a trick-or-treater dressed as Spiderman or Batman, take a moment to reflect and celebrate spiders, bats, and other awe-inspiring animals. Tell your family and friends what you know about these extraordinary beings so they will learn to respect them, too.
Spiders are more scared of people than we are of them! Even on the rare occasions when spiders may try to bite, only a few can actually pierce human skin. So, if you see a spider or two in your house, don't squash them! Leave them alone, or help them get back outside.
Did You Know …?
- Spiders use their silk to build webs, capture prey, line their living chambers, construct egg cases, and more.
- All spiders have silk glands, but not all spiders use silk to spin their webs.
- Spiders have been around for 400 million years.
- Wolf spiders' eyes reflect light, which can cause a meadow full of spiders to appear to twinkle in the moonlight.
Bats are very social animals who snuggle together during sleep, groom each other, and are loving, protective parents. Adult vampire bats have been known to adopt orphaned babies, and they will risk their lives to share food with hungry roostmates. Carl Linnaeus, the "father of taxonomy," originally put bats and primates (humans, apes, and monkeys) into the same taxonomic group because of the similarities between them.
Did You Know …?
- Bats are found all over the world, except for the Arctic, the Antarctic, and certain oceanic islands.
- Some bats seek out attics, barns, caves, old mines, and other roosts that will provide a safe place for raising their babies, shelter from extremes in weather, and protection from predators.
- Bats are the only mammals who can truly fly.
- The common saying "blind as a bat" is not accurate—all bats
can see, although they may rely more on their other senses.
Believe it or not, most snakes are harmless. Even venomous snakes only
bite humans in self-defense. They would much rather not confront us—and
we rarely have reason to confront them.
Did You Know …?
- There are more than 2,200 species of snakes.
- It is easy to overestimate the length of a moving snake and to think
that snakes who are just slithering along are trying to "attack."
- Snakes smell by using their long, forked tongues to collect particles from the air and carry them back to a special organ on the roof of their mouths.
- Snakes don't have eyelids, but they can see for short distances.
- Snakes don't have ear holes, but they can "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground.
- Snakes shed their skin as often as every four or five weeks when they are growing.
Ravens may have been demonized in Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," but besides their black plumage, there is nothing dark about ravens. They are friendly and resourceful.
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Did You Know …?
- Ravens are some of the smartest birds around, and like crows, they can learn to imitate a variety of sounds, including human voices.
- Ravens have wedge-shaped tails, unlike their crow cousins, who have fan-shaped tails.
- A raven's wingspan can be up to 56 inches.
- Ravens are more solitary than crows, who often gather together in large flocks.
Most owls are nocturnal wonders. Their "hoots" and "screeches" are not for frights but rather to attract a mate or defend their territories. The pitch and volume of the call reflect the size of the territory of the owl and thus how far the call has to travel.
Did You Know …?
- Owls' flexible necks allow them to rotate their heads 270 degrees, and they must turn their entire heads just to look sideways.
- Owls can be found all over the globe, except in the Antarctic region.
- The common barn owl has one of the largest ranges of any bird.
- The tufts of feathers on owls' heads that we call "ears" are not related to true ears.
Besides "the Wolfman," the only wolf to be wary of is a "domesticated" one. Wolves are exotic animals and attempts to keep them as "pets" are disastrous and sometime deadly.
Did You Know …?
- Wolves have 42 teeth.
- Wolves are typically afraid of humans and will try to avoid contact whenever possible.
- Wolves howl when they greet one another, to call their pack together, to let others know where they are, and to mark their territories.
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Pass Out Vegan Candy
Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls never hurt anyone, but people who buy candy made from gelatin, milk, or other animal products may unwittingly contribute to animal suffering. Click here for a list of frightfully good vegan candy.
Give Away PETA Stickers
Would you prefer to pass out information instead of tooth decay?
Visit PETALiterature
.com to order stickers at 60 for $1.00.
Go Cruelty-Free!
What you put on your face is as important as what you put in your
mouth if you don't want to terrorize animals this Halloween. Animal-tested
theatrical make-up is guaranteed to horrify compassionate partygoers,
but that doesn't mean you have to wear a sheet over your head. Here
are a few companies that don't hurt animals.
BuyCostumes.com Is a Treat for Animals
BuyCostumes.com is the Web's most popular costume store! Shop through this link and 8 percent goes to PETA.
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