In celebration of Halloween, I thought I'd write about some creatures that seem suited to this holiday. Some are frightening to people who do not understand them, others, such as a parrot-eating bat, only to their prey. Among them we also find true ghosts, goblins and vampires, some black and orange beauties....and a few real dangerous ones that tried to put an end to my zoologist-uncle!

Always decked out for Halloween in jet black and bright orange, Mexico's Red-kneed Tarantula ( Brachypelma hamorii) has been used to terrify audiences in several movies. It is actually quite docile as tarantulas go, and breeds readily under proper conditions. Considering the scores of tarantula species being bred by keepers today, it's hard for me to imagine that, back when my zoologist-uncle was just starting out, this was the only species available, and all were wild-caught.