Haven't signed into your Scholastic account before?
Teachers, not yet a subscriber?
Subscribers receive access to the website and print magazine.
You are being redirecting to Scholastic's authentication page...
Announcements & Tutorials
Renew Now, Pay Later
Sharing Google Activities
2 min.
Setting Up Student View
Exploring Your Issue
Using Text to Speech
Join Our Facebook Group!
1 min.
Subscriber Only Resources
Access this article and hundreds more like it with a subscription to Science World magazine.
Article Options
Presentation View
Numbers in the News: Spooky Science
Halloween is just around the corner! Check out these facts to get you in the spirit.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
550
The number of human brains in a collection at Yale University’s medical library.
30,000
The estimated number of “vampire” animal species that feed on blood, including insects, arachnids, worms, snails, fish, birds, and mammals.
12 INCHES
The length of the biggest spider in the world: the goliath birdeater. Thankfully, this spider’s venom isn’t harmful to humans!
48,500 YEARS
The age of the oldest “zombie” virus that still functioned after scientists thawed it from frozen soil in the Arctic.
870
The approximate number of bones in a snake’s skeleton—the most of any animal!
TAKE IT FURTHER: About 14,000 insect species feed on blood. What percentage of all blood-sucking species are insects?
SOURCES: JOHN HAY WHITNEY MEDICAL LIBRARY, CURRENT GENOMICS (2012), VIRUSES (2023)