Xplor More: Creepy Critters

Some critters seem scarier than any Halloween ghost or goblin. Maybe it’s their hair-raising appearance, or their bloodcurdling call, or the way they skitter or slither. Whatever it might be, it’s important to remember that every creature has a job in nature, and most — even the creepy ones — go about their business without bothering anybody.

Instructions

A few of Missouri’s creepiest critters have gone trick-or-treating. What do we know about them? Write the number for each clue in the circle below the correct critter.

Creepy Critters

• Silver-haired bat
• Eastern screech-owl
• Texas brown tarantula
• Eastern hog-nosed snake
• Alligator gar
• Coyote

Clues

1. I’m not a vampire, but I do eat creatures that suck blood — mosquitoes.
2. My spooky nighttime calls are howl I talk to my friends.
3. I move as silently as a ghost. My prey never hears me approach.
4. Maybe I need to cut back on Halloween candy. I weigh over 300 pounds! 
5. When I get scared, I pretend to be dead. Sometimes I poop myself.
6. My wavering call might make your skin crawl.
7. Some say my smile looks spooky. It’s probably because my upper jaw has an extra row of teeth.
8. Toads are my favorite thing to have tossed in my trick-or-treat bag.
9. Lots of folks think I’m blind, but I actually see quite well.
10. I puff up my body to scare away predators.
11. Those aren’t fangs. They’re canine teeth.
12. If I lose a leg, I just grow a new one.
13. In winter, my heart nearly stops, and I sleep like I’m dead.
14. I’m the only animal here who can outrun a rabbit.
15. My scales are so tough, Native Americans used them for arrowheads.
16. I fling barbed hairs from my belly at would-be predators.
17. To look behind me, I turn my head all the way around. Creepy!
18. I’m really shy. I hide in my burrow until night falls.

Answers: Silver-haired bat: 1, 9, 13; Eastern screech-owl: 3, 6, 17; Texas brown tarantula: 12, 16, 18; Eastern hog-nosed snake: 5, 8, 10; Alligator gar: 4, 7, 15; Coyote: 2, 11, 14