As you go to open your door, something hairy lurks by the handle. Startled, you jump back in time to see a Huntsman spider scurrying away. Just in time for Halloween, right?
Observed in many countries on 31 October, Halloween is a time for all things spooky and unusual. What began as an ancient tradition, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts, has evolved into a celebration featuring costumes that range from scary to quirky, along with candy, horror movies, and creepy decorations.
Seychelles Scops Owl (Photo: Herve Chelle)
Certain animals take centre stage during Halloween because of their nocturnal nature, scary appearance, or the sounds they make. These include bats, spiders, owls, and other creepy crawlies.
Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without spiders – the hairier the scarier. Our Huntsman fits right in. Also known as the Giant Crab Spider (Rhitymna valida) it can grow relatively large, with legs reaching up to 12 centimetres. Endemic to Seychelles, this spider doesn’t build a web but uses silk to create a cylindrical shelter of leaves.
But if you are looking for a web spinner, the Palm Spider (Nephila Inaurita), ubiquitous in Seychelles, will exceed all your expectations with its massive webs.
Other eight-legged arachnids that might spook include the Giant Black Scorpion (Chiromachus ochropus) although sightings are rare since it is restricted to specific islands, and the harmless Tailless Whipscorpion (Phrynichus scaber), which is active at night but hides under rocks during the day. One might add the giant centipedes to this list for their look and bite.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Talking of nocturnal animals, some of our local birds could easily give one the chills in the middle of the night. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) is known for its ghostly, wailing call perfect for Halloween.
The endemic Seychelles Scops Owl (Otus insularis), found in the highland forests of Mahé, is nocturnal and rarely seen. It has a distinctive double frog-like croak that sounds like a saw cutting wood (hence its local name, Syer). Far from being scary though, it is a bird that most birders want to spot.
Bats have long been Halloween icons and Seychelles has two endemic species, though they are anything but sinister. The Seychelles Fruit Bat (Pteropus seychellenis) taking flight at dusk is a welcome sight, even though they might invade our fruit trees or drop mango seeds on our roofs while we sleep. Then there’s the Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat (Coleura seychellensis) whose rarity warrants more attention than fear.
The endemic Jellyfish Tree
As for the flora, consider the endemic Jellyfish Tree (Medusagyne oppositifolia), and the Pitcher plant (Nepenthes pervelli) for being strange and unusual. The Jellyfish Tree gets its common name from the distinctive jellyfish-like shape of its open dry fruit. Its scientific name is inspired by the head of Medusa of Greek mythology – she of the living snakes instead of hair, and who could turn anyone who looked at her to stone. But the tree itself is quite small and its reddish-brown dry fruits open like tiny parasols quite pleasant to look at. The Pitcher plant’s bizarre reputation comes from its ability to trap insects for food—what could be stranger than that?
Seychelles’ diverse marine life also includes a variety of intriguing and sometimes eerie creatures, ranging from marine worms and sea slugs to jellyfish, eels and sharks.
Top photo: Huntsman spider