Eaten Alive | Dirty Death | Carnivorous Caterpillars

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BOO! Welcome to the last Saturday before costumed-candy-canvassing day.

AKA the SpoOopy issue! Enjoy these haunting-but-true stories to frighten and intrigue your friends/coworkers/poltergeists.

—Steve 🎃 

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Eaten Alive

Some bats treat their prey to a view as they’re eaten alive. Greater noctule bats were observed chomping down birds mid-flight.

• BIG bat: 18-inch wingspan

• Airborne dining was thought to be too difficult

• Prey-birds are roughly half the size of bats

Observed flight-meals lasted ~23 minutes and left a gruesome evidence trail along the flight path. Imagine catching and eating a meal half your weight, while jogging. Bonus points if you can do it while flying.

Trying to eat half my weight in Swedish Fish — Check out bat backpacks

Dirty Death

Is your garden full of humans? Composting is joining the realm of “green” burial options to consider on your last will and testament.

• Process takes 60-90 days

• Atmospheric-controlled coffin expedites natural breakdown

• Produces ~1 cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil

Human-composting uses less wood, steel, and concrete than traditional burial or cremation, though more research is needed for long-term soil safety. The process is currently legal in 14 states. No word on how they arrest your dirt if it’s illegal.

One day, I’d like to help sunflowers grow — Get the dirty details

Carnivorous Caterpillars

Carnivorous caterpillars lurk between spider strands in Hawaii. The newly identified species disguises itself with spare body parts.

• Species name = bone collector

• Scavenges webs to craft the perfect cloak

• Only found in the Wai'anae Mountains

Bone collectors grow solely from spidey leftovers before metamorphosing into an otherwise typical moth. Our time to enjoy/fear these mini-carnivores may be short lived as they appear close to extinction. No bones about it.

Spooky scary skeletons — Can you see through the costume?

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