11 creepy, crawly critters to see at the Philadelphia Zoo before Halloween

Snakes and bats and rats, oh my! It's Halloween so why not pay a visit to these and other creepy critters at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Creepy crawly insects, slimy slithering snakes, and scary swooping bats all get a bit more attention this time of year in the form of Halloween decorations or the subject of spooky ghost stories told on all Hallows Eve.

But these critters all play an important role in our eco system and in our everyday lives from keeping the natural balance in check to assisting in the decomposing process of animals and plants to keep our Earth clean.

"Our ecosystem needs biodiversity," said Laura Houston, director of school, public and youth programs at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Here are 4 often misunderstood creatures who live at the Philadelphia Zoo year-round.

Green anaconda

The 1997 horror movie "Anaconda" with Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube portrayed the world's heaviest snake as a deadly man-eating predator.

Boc and Luna, the two green anaconda's that live in the Reptile and Amphibian House at the Philadelphia Zoo are nothing close to their CGI (computer generated imagery) doubles in the film.

"The anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world, but the reticulated python can get just as big if not larger than an anaconda," said Houston. "We have nothing close to this size in our area because snakes in our area have to hibernate."

Green anacondas are found in northern South America and can get up to 35 feet long.

While they are meat eaters, there is no record of the big snakes tracking down, terrorizing, and slaughtering humans as they do in the movie.

"Snakes are important because they balance the small mammal population," Houston said. "The biggest reason why people think snakes are creepy is the way they move."

However, Houston pointed out that it is "fascinating that they have muscles that allow them to move without arms or legs."

Another misconception about snakes is that they are slimy to the touch.

"Snake scales are made of keratin -- the same thing that fingernails are made of," Houston said. "Also, people think all snakes are venomous, but there is a very small number that are venomous in our area."

And if none of these facts convince you that snakes are not evil, Houston said they are just as afraid of us as we may be of them.

"Snakes, like other animals, would rather avoid us," she said.

Turkey vulture

They're black as night with a creepy bald head.

They circle above as if waiting for something -- or someone -- below to die.

They are turkey vultures and they can stir up fear in those who encounter them due to their revolting diet and eerie appearance.

However, turkey vultures -- also sometimes called buzzards -- are very important to the cleanliness of our land.

"They don't just eat any dead stuff," Houston said. "They only eat freshly dead stuff."

Ralph and Chuck, the two rescued male vultures who live at the Philly Zoo, represent the huge population of these birds that live in the South Jersey area.

"They get a bad rap, but they are very important," Houston said, explaining that they help dispose of dead animal carcasses.

Vultures have many adaptations that allow them to do what they do in the cleanest fashion possible.

"They are bald because when they stick their head into dead stuff, they don't want stuff getting stuck to their feathers," Houston said. "And their urine cleans dead stuff off their feet."

When vultures are seen circling in the sky, gliding on their wide wings -- sometimes up to 6-and-a-half feet wide -- they can smell what's miles below them.

"They have an incredible sense of smell," Houston explained. "They can smell up to five miles away, so when they are circling, that's what they are doing."

Vultures are able to capture the wind current so well that they can glide across the sky, sniffing for dead meat, for up to six hours without flapping their wings, she said.

"They don't hunt live things," Houston said. "They are strictly carrion eaters. So if they are circling you, there's something dead near by."

And when they are not gliding gently on the breeze, vultures can be spotted perched on the top of a billboard, in dead trees, on rooftops, or on the tops of utility poles with their wings stretched out wide.

"When they're sitting with their wings stretched out, they're using the sun to heat their wings and warming themselves," Houston said. "It also helps them bake off any dead bits that may be stuck in their feathers."

Rats

Due to movies like "Willard" and "Ben" -- just to name two of thousands that portray rats in a negative light -- rats are seen as dirty, disease-ridden, and dangerous.

However, these rodents are very clean, very intelligent and make wonderful pets, according to Houston.

"One of the biggest misnomers is that they are perceived as dirty, but they are very clean," she said. "Like cockroaches, they are perceived as dirty because they hunt around dumpsters."

But rats, with their long hairless tails and beady eyes, are very friendly, and sociable, and make "fantastic pets, especially for young children who are just starting out."

"They are easy to train to a litter pan, and easy to care for," she said.

The rats that live at the zoo are all female, basic domestic rats.

"They are very affectionate and are ticklish on their bellies," she said. "Here, our rats are trained to recycle. We do a recycling demo for the kids and tell them that if rats can do it, you can do it, too."

Rodrigues Fruit Bat

At twilight, if you look up above the treeline, you may see little brown bats swooping gracefully through the air catching tasty bugs for their evening meal.

"Bats play a huge roll in insect control," Houston said.

These winged mammals may have gotten the worst reputation, through their portrayal on the silver screen, than any other aforementioned critter.

"One thing people think is creepy is that they hang upside down," Houston said. "But that's an adaptation to survive best in their environment."

There are approximately 40 Rodrigues fruit bats living in the zoo's Rare Animal Conservation Center where visitors can watch them hang, fly, eat, and not be creepy, anytime.

"People think they are creepy because they fly, but are different from birds," Houston said. "They are a different type of flying animal. They have different wings, and are conceived as scary."

Also, bats are usually found in places that are already thought to be frightening such as caves, abandoned mines, inside dark church steeples, and in old, dusty attics.

"Their favorite places to reside are places with a creepy reputation of their own, but it's because they like to hibernate," Houston said.

However, bats don't attack humans to drink their blood, they aren't interested in borrowing in a head of  human hair, and they absolutely do not turn into Count Dracula.

"There are very few species of vampire bats," she said. "They do drink blood, but they don't kill their subjects. They're just like a mosquito."

And the mosquito is also one of the bat's favorite meals.

"Bats help keep the mosquitos in check," she said.

And if you look at bat's face, especially the Rodrigues fruit bats at the Philadelphia Zoo, they are quite adorable.

So, this Halloween, don't be afraid to go visit some creepy critters at the zoo.

For more information, visit www.philadelphiazoo.org.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.