Hello, Adventurers! Welcome back to the Coastal Expeditions blog! If this is your first time visiting our blog, we’re happy to have you here. We are all about nature, adventure, and making the most out of the beautiful outdoors of South Carolina. If you enjoy all things hiking, paddling, kayaking, and spending time outdoors, you’ve come to the right place! Here on the blog, we dive deep into different habitats, excursions, conservation efforts, and nature programs. Our site is filled with interactive maps, destination guides, and educational resources. Since the weather is incredibly warm, we want to help you get out there and take advantage of all that the Lowcountry has to offer! We offer guided tours of the beautiful Lowcountry by kayak, paddleboard, ferry, boat, and private charter. We also have hands-on workshops taught by highly-trained guides on wilderness skills, birding, identifying native plants, sustainability, and camping. Anything you want to learn about, we teach! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take a look around our site to learn more about our offerings. In our last blog, we discussed everything there is to know about bats. Today, we’ll be finishing off our spooky season series by shining the spotlight on some pretty cool animals that really encapsulate the Halloween spirit. If you are interested in learning about these spooktacular creatures, you’re in the right place! Let’s get started.

Some animals have traditionally been associated with Halloween for centuries, such as bats, black cats, and spiders. But there are many animals out there that we think deserve some time to shine– But don’t worry, they’re not as spooky as you think!

Vampire Bat

We briefly mentioned the vampire bat in our last post, but we wanted to go more in-depth here! Vampire bats are leaf-nosed bats found in Central and South America. Unlike other bats that feed on insects or fruit, vampire bats drink the blood of other mammals to survive. They are about two to three inches long and have gray-brown colored fur. These creatures are active only at night, when they glide around in pitch darkness in search of food. Vampire bats primarily feed on cows, pigs, horses, and birds. They land on or near their prey and use their razor-sharp teeth to make a small cut, which is actually painless. They then lap up the blood with their tongues. Their saliva contains draculin, a glycoprotein that acts as an anticoagulant and keeps blood flowing from the wound so they can feed. Despite how scary they may sound, vampire bats are actually pretty light and graceful– In some instances, they can drink blood from their prey for 30 minutes without waking them up! Unlike other species of bats, vampire bats are able to walk, run, and jump. This helps them attach to their prey. They can also ingest up to 40 percent of their body weight while feeding. Spooky!

Raven

Ravens are large-bodied bird species in the genus Corvus. There are approximately 10 species of these heavy-billed, dark birds. Although they are sometimes mixed up with crows, they are much larger in size. In fact, the common raven can reach a length of up to 26 inches and have a wingspan of more than 4 feet! The raven has long been a symbol of death and disease, even before making an appearance in the infamous poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. Besides their dark black feathers, ravens may have been associated with darkness because of the fact that they talk. Yes, you read that correctly. Ravens do actually talk– They can make over 100 vocalizations and can mimic human speech! Because of this, ravens have sometimes been associated with prophecy or deities in many traditions.

Halloween Moon Crab

Sometimes known as the blackback land crab, moon crab, or harlequin land crab, these crustaceans are part of the Gecarcinidae family. These colorful land crabs are typically found in Central and South America and tend to be herbivores, snacking on seedlings for most of their diet. However, they will occasionally feed on fish, insects, and worms. Of course, these crabs are named for their vibrant, Halloween-like colors. Their colors consist of a dark brown back (often mistaken for black), a bright orange body, and purple claws and limbs. Talk about a great Halloween costume! Something particularly interesting about these crabs is that they move using both water and gas, while other crabs use a hydrostatic skeleton!

Goblin Shark

These deep-sea sharks live at the bottom of the ocean and are pretty rare, as they are not seen often. They have been spotted mostly off the coast of Japan and were named for their resemblance to mythical goblins in Japanese folklore. Goblin sharks are sometimes referred to as “living fossils” because it is the only extant representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, which is approximately 125 million years old. These sharks have a distinct snout– It is long and flat, almost similar to a blade. Goblin sharks feed mostly on fish, mollusks, and crabs. Since they live in extremely deep water, they are not a threat to humans. They are, however, a threat to their prey, as they have large mouths and can thrust their jaws up to three inches out of their mouths in order to catch prey!

Vampire Squid

The vampire squid is actually not a squid at all! It is a small cephalopod that sits alone in the phylum Mollusca as the only living member of the family Vampyroteuthidae. It was discovered all the way back in 1903, when it was classified as a type of octopus. However, scientists have since determined that the vampire squid is neither a squid nor an octopus. The mantle length of the vampire squid is about 12 inches and has eight arms and two tentacles, with a webbing of skin connecting its arms. This webbing seems to resemble a cape, which is how the creature got its name! The vampire squid is found in temperate and tropical waters, dwelling in the depths of the ocean where it is almost pitch black. Despite its somewhat scary appearance, vampire squids are not predators. They are the only known living cephalopod that does not catch and eat live animals for food. Instead, they eat food particles and “marine snow”, which consists of bits of dead planktonic creatures. Something interesting about the vampire squid is that it has bioluminescent organs that expel a colorless substance that appears to glow– This is used instead of expelling ink, which would not be seen in the dark depths of the ocean. 

Skeleton Shrimp 

A skeleton shrimp is an amphipod in the family Caprellidae. They are tiny, reaching only about 1.5 inches long, and thanks to their body shape and color, they can easily camouflage themselves. Their bodies are usually transparent, but can also vary from brown to red. Some species can even change color to blend in with their surroundings! Their transparency is what gave them their name, since they look quite similar to a skeleton. Skeleton shrimp are sometimes called “praying mantises of the sea” because of their likeness to the praying mantis. With two pairs of legs attached to the front end of their bodies and three pairs of legs on the back end, they can often be found clinging to algae in low intertidal zones and subtidal waters. They are omnivores and eat whatever they can filter from the water, using their antennae. 

As you can see, these creatures were pretty much made for Halloween! Did you find out about any that you weren’t previously aware of? Which do you find the most interesting? Let us know!  We hope you found this article informative! As always, we thank you for reading and we hope to see you back on our blog soon! If you have any questions about our guided tours, reach out to us! At Coastal Expeditions, we are committed to introducing people to the wonders of the ecosystems of the Charleston area by providing guided tours and educational opportunities. If you’re looking to explore all that the Lowcountry has to offer, check out our offerings on our website to find the adventure which suits you best! We also offer kid-friendly tours as well as kids’ programs, camps, and kayak lessons. Our tours are led by knowledgeable, approachable naturalists and sea captains who are eager to answer your questions! Until next time, readers. Get out there and explore! Adventure awaits!