04. Pretty and eerie

The fact that there are animals with red eyes walking – or flying – around has intimidated me a little bit, but in a very cool way. 

The owl above is scientifically named ‘Asio Stygius,’ and the word ‘Stygian’ is often associated with the River Styx in Greek mythology, which is a river in the underworld. The word ‘Stygian’ is used to describe something related to the Styx or something dark and gloomy. 

A pretty accurate name for this animal! Yes, this is a scary-looking owl, but it is also very elegant, and its dark features bring a unique appearance to it. Definitely worth being a character in a dark children’s cartoon, like Coraline.

This owl is native to parts of Central and South America, and its dark coloration helps it blend into its forested habitats, similar to the camouflage skill of the spiders we saw earlier!