Killer Skunks? European Armadillos?

Hollywood gets lots of things wrong. And one of the most glaring examples are references to wildlife in films. There are countless examples like CGI whitetail deer with elk antlers and any number of animals shown in the wrong country. The following is a short list from horror movies that show there were no wildlife expert-especially on skunks among the crew.

“Could’ve been a skunk”—In the 1978 classic “Halloween”, killer Michael Myers is believed to have visited his old house and when his doctor and the sheriff find a half-eaten German shepherd, they blamed it on a skunk.

Skunks might be able to kill a dog by giving it rabies but there is no skunk big and bad enough to kill a full grown German shepherd and eat it.

It’s a great movie but it boggles the mind to think of that line getting the green light.

Armadillos in Transylvania—In 1931’s groundbreaking movie “Dracula” starring Bela Lugosi, we are introduced to the count’s creepy, gothic castle.

In the castle are rats, bats and…armadillos.

Yes, armadillos, the nine-banded variety  to be exact.

Apparently someone thought what would put that movie over the edge is a North American armored mammal. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Oh and there was an opossum too.

No Grizzly Here—The 1970s produced lots of killer animal movies in the wake of “Jaws”. One I liked as a kid was “Grizzly”, about-you guessed it a killer grizzly bear.

When they figure out a killer bear is in the park, they are amazed because someone allegedly caught all of the grizzlies and relocated them as if grizzlies can’t move long distances. And also as if they would know if they caught all of the grizzlies.

Night of the Lepus—A movie about giant, carnivorous rabbits. Nothing else to say.

Chester Moore, Jr.