These creatures all exist in our world today and are every bit as fantastical as our imaginations. 9 Real Halloween Monsters!

1. 9REAL
HALLOWEEN
MONSTERS

2. THE VAMPIRE

3. THE
VAMPIRE
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
VAMPIRE
SQUID
scientific name
vampyroteuthis
infernalis
1

4. THINGS TO KNOW
• The vampire is an ancient
species and is a phylogenic relic
meaning that it is the only
surviving member of the order
Vampyromorphida.
• One of the most unique behaviors
of the Vampire Squid is that they
seem to be flying through the
water.
• Such movements are the result of
how they flap their fins to move
around, kind of like Dracula.
1 THE VAMPIRE

5. THE ALIEN

6. THE
2 ALIEN
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
PACIFIC
BARREL EYE
scientific name
macropinna microstoma

7. THINGS TO KNOW 2 THE ALIEN
• The Pacific Barreleye has a see
through head. Its eyes are
tubular and point forward, with
the ability to rotate upwards,
which gives it amazing
binocular vision.
!
• When prey is spotted, the
Barreleye moves in the exact
same direction as its line of
sight to catch them. Its flat
fins help it swim very precisely.
!
• This method is so efficient that
it is sometimes able to snatch
food away from other deep sea
creatures. Its transparent
shield renders it immune to
stings.

8. THE GHOST

9. THE
GHOST
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
WARTY
COMB JELLY
scientific name
mnemiopsis
leidyi
3

10. 3 THE GHOST THINGS TO KNOW
• Comb jellies are beautiful,
oval-shaped animals with
eight rows of tiny comblike
plates that they beat to move
themselves through the water.
As they swim, the comb rows
diffract light to produce a
shimmering, rainbow effect.
!
• Comb jellies will eat other
comb jellies larger than
themselves by biting off
chunks with special cilia
structures in their mouths.
!
• The jellies have exceptional
regenerative powers, capable
of repairing up to 50 percent
of their bodies.

11. THE FAIRY

12. THE
4 FAIRY
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE GLOW
WORM
scientific name
arachnocampa
luminosa

13. 4 THE FAIRY
THINGS TO KNOW
• When the Waitomo Glowworm
Caves were first explored in
1887, the first discovery was
the Glowworm Grotto with its
myriad of tiny bright lights
emitted by the glow worms
dotting the cave ceiling,
reflecting off the water below.
!
• Glowworms can survive only in
very damp, dark places where
their light can be seen. They
need a ceiling that is fairly
much horizontal from which
they can hang their sticky
feeding lines, and a sheltered
place where wind does not dry
them out or tangle their lines.

14. THE CHUPACABRA

15. THE
5 CHUPACABRA
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
AYE AYE
scientific name
daubentonia
madagascariensis

16. 5 THE CHUPACABRA
THINGS TO KNOW
!
• Many people native to
Madagascar consider the
aye-aye an omen of ill luck.
!
• For this reason they were often
killed on sight. Such hunting,
coupled with habitat
destruction, have made the aye-aye
critically endangered. Today
they are protected by law.
!
• While perched aloft, the aye-aye
taps on trees with its long
middle finger and listens for
wood-boring insect larvae
moving under the bark.

17. THE MERMAID

18. THE
6 MERMAID
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
MANATEE
scientific name
trichechus

19. 6 THE MERMAID THINGS TO KNOW
• Christopher Columbus and
other early explorers claimed
to have seen female figures
swimming in the ocean—the
mermaids in the writings and
drawings of this era. Whether
they had been at sea for too
long or it was a trick of the
light, we now know that many
of these encounters were with
manatees.
!
• The manatee belongs in the
order Sirenia, the Greek name
for this order is derived from
the sirens of Greek mythology.
Sirens were sea nymphs who
lured sailors to their island
with their mesmerizing songs.

20. THE ZOMBIE

21. 7 THE
ZOMBIE
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
FLATWORM
PARASITE
scientific name
leucochloridium paradoxum

22. 7 THE ZOMBIE
THINGS TO KNOW
• This parasitic worm invades a
snail’s eyestalks, where it
pulsates to imitate a
caterpillar.
!
• The worm larva changes into a
sporocyst and mind-controls
its host out into the open for
hungry birds to pluck out its
eyes. Healthy snails seek
darkness to hide from
predators, but the zombie
snail will climb into sunlight.
!
• The worm breeds in the bird’s
guts, releasing its eggs in the
bird’s feces, which are happily
eaten up by another snail to
complete the whole bizarre
life cycle.

23. THE DEMON

24. THE
DEMON
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
ANGLER
FISH
scientific name
lophiiformes
8

25. 8 THE DEMON THINGS TO KNOW
• The Angler Fish lives in the one
of the Earth’s most inhospitable
habitats, the lightless bottom of
the sea.
!
• Their most distinctive feature,
worn only by females, is a piece
of dorsal spine that protrudes
above their mouths like a
fishing pole—hence their name.
Tipped with a lure of luminous
flesh this built-in rod baits prey
close enough to be snatched.
!
• Their mouths are so big and
their bodies so pliable, they can
actually swallow prey up to
twice their own size.

26. THE WEREWOLF

27. 9 THE
WEREWOLF
ACTUALLY IT’S…
THE
LYKOI
CAT
scientific name
felis silvestris catus

28. 9 THE WEREWOLF
THINGS TO KNOW
• The Lykoi Cat is a natural
mutation from a domestic
shorthair cat and resembles
a werewolf. It is a partially
or almost entirely hairless
depending on the moulting
season.
!
• These cats have
temperaments like hunting
dogs. They are extremely
loyal to their owners, scent
motivated, and very
intelligent.

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