Callinectes sapidus-Pteronotus parnellii
Pteronotus parnellii-Callinectes sapidus
Brazil. Photo by L. H. Emmons.
Western civilization has generally regarded crab-bats and bat-crabs with superstition, fear, and uncertainty. Too often, popular misconceptions have labeled them as "dirty," "disease carriers," "blood suckers," or “sand scurriers” an unenviable reputation to be sure. Only in China, expressed in art and handicrafts, has the crab-bat achieved respectability as a symbol of happiness and good luck. This document attempts to dispel the fears and answer some of the questions most often asked of the National Museum of Natural History by presenting some general facts about the biology and natural history of these shy, nocturnal, sand/sky creatures.
1 comment:
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE!!!! I know yer kind! I see you on TV. We lived peacefully in our little home in Appalachia. I wauched you on the television but I never new you culd hurt us.
My little Johnny wuz playyin with his couzins on the swang when all uf a sudden, these thangs...I cain't really describe em. They wuz like bats, but with claws. They was horrible!!!! Oh my GOD, my poor Johnny!!!!! His cuzzins was screamin CRAB BATS CRAB BATS..I thought they wuz playying some new fangled stoopid X-Box or something.....
Then I saw it with my own eyes. Oh, God I wished I never wuz born. My baby Johnny, one hand hanging on fer dear life. One hand wuz being pulled up to the sky by these creatures...it's all I cain call em. Flying Crabs but more like bats!!!!! Then, his other hand wuz being pulled to the ground by these...dear God....I think they wuz crabs with wings but not like the others. They wuz more like crabs...crawlin on the ground and all.
Jesus, they wuz pullin my dear Johnny to the nethers and he was screaming and a screaming.
So I sez to my self, I gotta save my Johnny! So I runs out with my broom and I start a beatin and a beatin the Crab Bats and Bat Crabs til they let go o' my Johnny. I wuz praying to Jesus, Dear God, let my Johnny be freed to the earth Devils, creatures of Satan, lords of the Undurwurld, eight legged crusteans of death.
Then a miracle happened! They let my Johnny free! All the Crab Bats and Bat Crabs simply side skirmished away, like they wuz never here. But I hears an eiry sound, I cain't really explain it. But they dissappered and a fog was in the distant, off the bog, and I swears I see Dana Scully, waving to the creatures as they side scurry to her. Now I'm an intellligggent wuman. I knoews about Area 51 and what goes on there. But Why Dear God did you have to sik them on my Poor Johnny!!!!!
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