Creatures of the Night

You are out on a moonless night in a field, in the middle of nowhere. It is really dark. You cannot see what is ahead of you. You hear frogs croaking and crickets chirping.

Wait! Something is running through the bushes… You can hear it. What was that?! You think you saw something fly by… Or did you? You hear hysterical laughter in the distance. Ok, maybe it's time you went home, and fast.

What is it about the night and its creatures that inspire such fear in us? Let us shed some light on these nocturnal animals, and maybe you will find they're not all that scary after all.

 

Demons in Disguise?

 Countless myths all over the world portray vampire bats as evil, blood-sucking vampires in disguise. However, the truth is, there is nothing evil about these creatures.

There are only three species of vampire bats in the world. They are the common vampire bat, the hairy-legged vampire bat, and the white-winged vampire bat.

Vampire bats can only be found in North and South America . They feed only on blood, usually of farms animals and birds.

 

Built for drinking blood

Vampire bats are equipped to hunt for and feed on blood. The common vampire bat has specialised infrared sensors on its nose, which enable them to locate an area where blood flows close to the skin.

A part of the vampire bat's brain is specialised to detect the regular breathing sounds of a sleeping animal, such as a cow.

If there is fur on its prey, the vampire bat uses its canine and cheek teeth to clip away the hairs.

The saliva of the vampire bat is a key element that enables the bat to feed freely on its prey. This is because its saliva contains draculin, a substance which prolongs bleeding by preventing blood from clotting.

 

Interesting facts

 •  If a vampire bat cannot obtain blood, it will ask another vampire bat for a “blood transfusion”. The blood is exchanged mouth-to-mouth, in a motion that looks very much like kissing.

•  Vampire bats are very agile on the ground. They can run at speeds of up to 2.2 meters per second.

 

Hyenas - Tools of Evil?

Hyenas were once thought to be tools of demons and witches to lure humans into captivity. This is largely because the hyena's haunting calls sound remarkably like hysterical human laughter. Thus, they were believed to be able to imitate human sounds, and call their victims by name.

Hyenas are powerful hunters and scavengers found in Africa , Arabia , Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They are highly intelligent animals.

 

They feed on the dead

 Hyenas are mostly scavengers. That means that they usually feed on dead animals. The only exception is the spotted hyena, which is basically a predator.

Hyenas are built to be efficient scavengers. They have one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, which enables them to eat up their prey, including the bones, skin, teeth, horns, and even hooves.

In addition, they have a very powerful digestive system with highly acidic fluids that enable them to digest normally indigestible parts of animals, such as the bones, teeth and horns.

 

Eight-Legged Monsters?

 We would like to thank Tan Mei Qi and Vivian Ang Hui Ting of Peixin Primary School for sharing with us the following interesting facts on spiders.

Spiders are not insects, but predatory invertebrate animals which belong to the family Arachnid. Some spiders scurry along the ground in search of food, while others make webs and wait for their meals to be delivered to them.

Spiders have special hairs on their legs that enable them to feel their prey struggling in the web. When this happens, the spider rushes at its prey and bites it with poisonous fangs. The spider then wraps its meal up in silk and leaves it to be eaten later.

 

Interesting facts

 •  As a baby spider grows bigger, it has to get rid of its old skin. This is called moulting.

•  If a spider loses a leg to an attacker, it can grow a new one the next time it moults.