It’s #DraculaDay!
Bram Stokers #gothic marvel was released #OnThisDay in 1897 - to celebrate we will be hosting a #TweetOff based on fangtastic flora, fauna & folklore from around the world

Author of most liked tweet wins a donation for their #charity

#MonthlyTweetOff

There is no shortage of myths & legends when it comes to bloodsuckers. And one of the more famous ones is el chupacabra, the 'goatsucker'.
This cryptid is thought to roam parts of the Americas, appearing in bad pictures & draining livestock dry.
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Tales aside, what is a tiny bird on a little island to do when food supplies dip?
Tap into a readily available source, obviously. Vampire ground finches on Wolf Island in the Galápagos archipelago have done just that with the resident seabirds.
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However, not all vampires are blood-seeking. The tiny fangs of tadpoles of the vampire tree frogs have earned the species their name. But these fangs aren't for blood. Instead, they help the tadpoles feed on their mother's unfertilised eggs.
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You may want to keep your legs crossed for our next 'vampire', the candiru. While this tiny fish's horrific fame precedes it, it is arguable. There has only been one recorded case of a candiru entering a human urethra, and that too with debate.
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Vampires aren't unique to the animal kingdom. There a few plant vamps too, such as the vampire plant, Rhinanthus minor. A hemiparasite, R. minor does not reach its full growth potential unless it sneaks some nutrients from its neighbours' roots.
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Mosquitoes & blood are synonymous. However, not all of the 3500-odd species are out for our blood. Mosquitoes tend to specialise in certain host species, and only become generic in difficult times.
Host species include fish, & even other insects.
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Chinese water deer, aka vampire deer, have elongated fang-like tusks in place of the antlers of most deer
Present in both sexes but more pronounced in males, these tusks serve the same purpose as antlers, being used in territorial displays/defence against other males
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This #gothic beauty is Pesquet’s Parrot #aka Dracula Parrot
The only 1 in its genus, it is thought that the vulture-like bare face evolved to avoid feathers becoming matted by the sticky pulp of the fruits they feed on
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The most feared creature in Philippine folklore, the Aswang, a shapeshifter who feeds on human flesh & blood, with a preference for feeding on children, pregnant woman & their unborn babies
It uses its proboscis-like tongue to pierce the skin & suck out what’s inside
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Dracula is a genus of orchid, literally translates to “little dragon” named after the shape of the flower rather than in honour of the great count
However this particular species colouration & appearance earned it the species name vampira
Dracula vampira, that’s 1 gothic flower

Back to another classic bloodsucker, Leeches
Not all Leeches feed on blood, carnivores, some species of leech have diets of molluscs, insect larvae & worms
Even those who do partake in blood based diets tend to favour frog & fish blood etc over that of human blood
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These impressive looking fangs (left) belong to the Dracula fish, Danionella dracula, but don’t be alarmed these fish are only ~15mm long
The fangs aren’t even real teeth but protrusions of the jaw
Males spar w/ them opening their jaws as wide as possible & nudging one another

Another #myth & #legend that has earned a seat in the hall of famed bloodsuckers, is the #Shtriga. From Albanian folklore, this vampiric witch is famous for draining the life (& blood) of newborns, children & beautiful girls while they sleep. #WorldDraculaDay #MonthlyTweetOff

Something less likely to give you nightmares. I present, the Vampire Squid. Covered in tiny, light-producing organs called photophores, in the depths of the ocean, these guys can be as vivid as a #firework display. Eat your heart out @katyperry
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One of the most amiable #vampires, the Hooded Mockingbird, is an opportunistic blood drinker. Found on only two islands in the #Galapagos archipelago, they regularly feed on injured sea birds, sea lions & humans, even the odd sea lion placenta. #WorldDraculaDay #MonthlyTweetOff

We've focused on #blood as a food source but one crafty genus of N. American horned lizards (Phrynosoma) uses blood as a defense mechanism! When threatened, they are able to squirt blood from their eyes up to a distance of 5 feet away
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Native to N & W Atlantic Ocean, the sea lamprey is a primitive, parasitic invert. An efficient killer of various fish sp, its suction-cup mouth, ringed with sharp teeth, uses its tongue to rub away the flesh so it can feed blood & body fluids. #WorldDraculaDay #MonthlyTweetOff

According to locals in Borneo, a mysterious beast lurks in the jungle. Pouncing on deer from treetops, tearing their bodies apart to devour their organs. Sounds like an urban legend, but this is all based on a real animal: the “vampire squirrel”.
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Dracula ants are a species of ant that feeds on their young by chewing a hole into its babies and sucking the blood out. This process is known as nondestructive cannibalism….
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Oxpeckers, (the small birds you see in photos perching on wildebeests) were once thought to help wilderbeest by eating the parasitic ticks on them. However, it was found that the birds re-open wounds & drink the wildebeest's blood. Bummer.
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According to folklore, the Jubokko is a vampiric tree. It appears in former battlefields where many people have died, & sucks up large quantities of blood from the dead.
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The most iconic vampire animal the Vampire Bat!
These bats don’t actually suck blood from their prey. Instead, they scrape the skin near an artery & then lap the blood up like a cat. Their spit acts as an anticoagulant & keeps blood flowing.
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A species of Assassin Bug known as The Masked Hunter are vampires that predate on other vampires.
They eat bedbugs which feed on human blood. Oh they also wear the corpses of their prey on their backs to confuse predators & for fun probably.
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In the wild, payaras are ferocious hunters w/ a diet that often includes piranhas. They are such predatory fish that piranhas fear them & quickly swim away if they see one!
But there are no cases of them attacking humans so you’re safe…for now
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That’s a wrap folks!
Person with the most likes & RT by tomorrow will win the donation to their charity

This months charities are:
@WelshMountainZo
@TheWCS
@WWF_Australia
@acres_sg

Until next time, happy #WorldDraculaDay!