Dispel the Fear with Spooky Nature Facts!

by | Oct 31, 2021 | Feature Articles

At SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve, we seek to understand and appreciate the value of all living things and their habitats. In the spooky spirit of this month, we are excited to celebrate some of the more creepy and crawly critters we coexist with! Species like bats and spiders have long been a part of Halloween symbolism and folklore, and many people feel fear or disgust when in their presence, but they play an essential role in nature. 
From a biological perspective, we learn to fear other animals for our own survival. Disgust is another protective behavior that influences us to avoid harmful predators or pathogens. These emotions may have once aided in the survival of humans but are often misplaced in modern society. By seeking to better understand these species and the important roles they play in nature, we can dispel some of the negative feelings we have towards them. 
Having a fear of spiders is frighteningly common. Some research has even shown that up to 75% of people feel uneasy in the presence of spiders. While we know some species of spiders (only 0.1%!) are venomous enough to harm humans, the overwhelming majority are harmless to humans, especially here in the Pacific Northwest.  
Not only are most spiders not dangerous, but they also contribute to our well-being by reducing the number of other insects that can reduce crop yields or spread disease. For example, you may want to eradicate the orb-weaver spiders you find in your yard or garden, especially if you’ve fallen victim to accidentally walking face-first into their giant webs! However, the webs of orb-weaver spiders are excellent at capturing other pests like flies, wasps, and mosquitoes. Worldwide, mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal. 
Some research has suggested that most people aren’t afraid of the danger of spider bites, but rather their creepy looks and sudden, unpredictable movements. Most spiders you find in your house are not aggressive and will run away and hide if approached by you. Learning about spiders, their anatomy, and their behavior is one way we can lessen our fear of them!
It may seem obvious why bats are associated with Halloween due to their nocturnal nature along with the fact that vampire bats exist, but these flying mammals are essential to human life! Most bats eat insects, while others eat fruit or nectar, and the minority are bloodsuckers. There are more than 1,000 bat species in a variety of ecosystems, from rainforests to deserts, and they all play key roles in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health. The ecological roles that bats play include pollinating flowers as they collect nectar, dispersing the seeds of fruiting plants through their guano, and reducing the number of crop-eating or disease-spreading insects, much like our spider friends. 
With all of the benefits of having bats part of our ecosystem, they still face stereotypes such as being carriers of disease because of the high-profile diseases they’ve been associated with, including rabies, Ebola, and most recently the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It is important to remember that zoonotic diseases spread from human to human, not from animal to human, and the way to prevent future pandemics is by changing human behavior in relation to wildlife!
Deforestation has brought wildlife into much closer contact with humans and livestock than would naturally occur, providing the opportunity for zoonotic diseases to develop. There are many other human practices, including the illegal wildlife trade, that also unnaturally bring different species together, which increases the risk of viruses jumping from one species to another and ultimately to humans. By protecting the natural habitats of wildlife, as we do here at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve, we can help limit the chance the next pandemic will be started in our own backyards.
When it comes to fear, knowledge is power, and we hope you feel more confident the next time you see a spider or are lucky enough to hear a bat in the night! There is not much benefit in fearing other species, but countless benefits to understanding and respecting the species we coexist with.