This Halloween, you'll probably see all kinds of spooky decorations featuring bats, spiders and snakes.
While you may not want them in your home, these animals play important roles in our ecosystem and can often help make our lives more enjoyable.
There are approximately 1,200 species of bats worldwide.
About 70 percent of these bats are insectivores, which means their diet consists mainly of insects.
Most of the other bat species are frugivores, meaning they eat mainly fruit. A few bats are carnivorous, including the fish-eating bat.
Only three species of bat — vampire bats — are parasitic and survive off the blood of other mammals, but they give all the other bats a bad reputation.
Insectivorous bats help keep insect populations under control, making life more comfortable for us.
Fruit bats, like birds, act as a natural means of seed dispersal, helping plant species spread and populate.
Spiders are one of the most hated animals on the planet.
With 40,000 different species around the world, you can be sure there are plenty of them nearby wherever you go.
Essentially all spiders use venom to kill their prey, however, most spiders' venoms are harmless to humans. Only a few species out of the thousands out there actually pose a threat.
Spiders are great because they eat a lot of insects, including flies, that we consider pests. If you see spiders near your home, it's often a good idea to leave them alone so they can eat insects before the insects can bug you. Don't forget — the spider wouldn't be there if there weren't insects for it to eat.
Snakes are another misunderstood animal that people don't like.
There are more than 3,400 species of snakes in the world, and most of them are harmless to humans.
Only a few species of snakes have venom potent enough to kill a human.
Most snakes only use venom to subdue and kill their prey, not for self-defense.
Snakes eat rodents and other small animals, which can help control those populations and potentially keep them out of your home.
There's a terrible saying, "the only good snake is a dead snake," but that's just not true.
Like spiders, snakes only go where the food is. If you see a snake, it's evidence that there are other small animals around — animals you may not want reproducing uncontrolled and overrunning the area.
Bats, spiders and snakes may make for good creepy Halloween images, but don't forget if you see one in real life, you're more than likely dealing with an ally, not an enemy.
