Annotated Bibliography APA

Running Head: QUALITIES THAT MAKE THE MOST FRIGHTENING MONSTERS. 1

QUALITIES THAT MAKE THE MOST FRIGHTENING MONSTERS. 7

Qualities that make the most frightening biological or scientific monster(s)

Student’s Name

Institution of Affiliation

Date

Chupacabra

Chupacabra is a legendary biological monster in many films. Some of the movies that have used this monster are Guns of El Chupacabra (1997), Chupacabra Terror (2005), Indigenous (2014), and Blood of the Chupacabras (2005). The creature was first reported in Puerto Rico following reports of attacks on animals especially goats. I chose this creature because of its unique way of killing its prey and the mystery around its existence. Chupacabra is said to suck blood from its prey but does not feed on the flesh; it causes massive attacks within a short period of time.

Moreover, scientists are yet to conduct in-depth research on the creature due to its rare existence. Scientists have confessed that they lack photographs or footprints of the creature. In addition, after the Dracula, the world's best-known vampire in history; Chupacabra is shared similar mystical features. From the global perspective, the creature is dangerous to both animals and human beings; lacks adequate scientific study about the monster is the greatest threat to humanity. The monster might be living within our locality without our knowledge. Shockingly, it resembles the mongrels we meet on the streets and backyard.

The worst part of my writing was selecting relevant sources that have adequate information on the Chupacabra. Contrary to research in humanities; research in sciences has few peer-reviewed and relevant sources of information. If one fails to scrutinize the sources, they are prone to presenting wrong information.

Castro, J. (2012). Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore by Benjamin Radford. Latin Americanist, 56(2), 194-196.

Castro suggests that Chupacabra creatures are rarely seen because they avoid light. What was the last time you had of creatures that avoid light? I am certain was during a film involving vampires. Like many vampires, Chupacabra prefers to inhabit dark conditions. They are categorized among nocturnal species that feed at night; this might be a better response to why scientists lack the footprints and pictures of Chupacabra. It is until 1995 that eyewitnesses claimed to have seen the creatures in Puerto Rico. One may ask if the Chupacabra are hypersensitive to light and prefer dwelling in the caves; however, this is a mystery.

Darkness is associated with strange, ugly, gruesome, tragic, and fierce creatures in movies. Chupacabra is perceived to have these features and other nocturnal features. Therefore, they invoke a sense of fear among the target audience of a film. Just like vampires and other nocturnal animals, Chupacabra is pale in nature and are believed to have a colonial feeding system. This is shocking to those who have watched movies with Chupacabra. In my argument, I believe that Castro presents adequate insight to support my discussion on qualities that make Chupacabra frightening in movies.

Chupacabra: Facts about the Mysterious Vampire Beast. (2012, October 16). Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/24036-chupacabra-facts.html

According to this source, scientists believe that Chupacabra is immortal in nature. Few mammals like the whale and tardigrades (a small creature that dwells in water) are believed to live for more than 200 years. Although the survival mechanism for whales and other mammals that have the immortal feature are known; Chupacabra survival mechanism is unknown. Tardigrades can live in a suspended state and come back to live upon hydration. On the other hand, immortal jellyfish are reborn continuously during their lifecycle.

Scientists are in a dilemma on how the Chupacabra survive for ages. Do they undergo trans-differentiation (the act of reverting to a more adaptable form in difficult condition)? Do they exist in a food chain like other organisms? These questions explain why the Chupacabra is a frightening monster in movies. As one seeks to respond to these questions it invokes fear while watching such movies. This source fails to suggest any scientific progress in understanding the truth about the creature; one can easily assume that the source is biased. However, it has served its purpose of validating the fierce nature of Chupacabra.

Chupacabra Science: How Evolution Made a Mythical Monster. (2010, October 30). Retrieved from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101028-chupacabra-evolution-halloween-science-monsters-chupacabras-picture/

This web source discusses the mystery behind why the Chupacabra drinks blood from its prey. This quality is frightening in two aspects; First, known predators in the reptile family eat flesh besides sucking blood from their prey. Secondly, the Chupacabra feature of sucking blood confirms its similarity to the vampires; the most frightening monsters in films. Apart from the scientifically known ectoparasites that feed exclusively on blood such as the leeches and mosquitoes, the vampire bat has been the only haematophagic; mammal that exclusively feeds on blood. Therefore, Chupacabra remains a mystical creature that can only make films more frightening.

According to the website; just like vampire bats, Chupacabra prey on warm blood animals such as livestock. The bats are able to locate spots of blood using their inbuilt infra-red sensors of heat; in addition, they induce a protein called ‘draculin' to keep blood flowing from the prey. These features remain a mystery among the Chupacabra. Moreover, it is difficult to determine the amount of blood required by this creature for satisfaction and how frequent blood is needed. How about survival when there is no blood? Do they have a food sharing mechanism? Do they regurgitate blood? These are some of the questions that confirm the frightening nature of Chupacabra. Synthesizing this source, I am confident that the information provided on this source is relevant in discussing Chupacabra creatures; blood-sucking characters in movies are often dangerous.

Kaplan, M. (2012). The Science of Monsters: cursed by a bite. Simon and Schuster.

In the essay, ‘Cursed by a bite’ Matt Kaplan seeks to understand the origin of zombies and vampires. Kaplan uses the Odyssey as a representation of zombies and vampires and any creature similar to them; Chupacabra is among the creatures that share similar characteristics according to the author. Therefore, this source reveals the shared frightening features of these mystical monsters. In the essay, Kaplan says the Odysseus has to travel to the land of the dead; underworld, to access information from people he once knew in their lifetime.

Kaplan explains how this remains certainly shocking and brings out the frightening element of the Chupacabra. He says, even though it is not scientifically proven if the Chupacabra shares all the features of the zombies and monsters; relating them shows a close similarity. While in the witch circle, the author explains the Odysseus is compelled to feed on fresh blood extracted from an animal. This reveals the same feature of Chupacabra; exclusively feeds on blood. This essay is a confirmation of the frightening quality of Chupacabra; very few people can keep up with creatures with morphing characteristics.

Radford, B. (2016). Mistaken Memories of vampires: Pseudohistories of the Chupacabra. Skeptical Inquirer, 40(1), 50.

According to Radford, Chupacabra has mistaken memories of vampires. Throughout his writing, he compares and contrasts the features of the vampires to those of the Chupacabra. In his conclusion, he suggests that Chupacabra are vampires that portray animals' character and behavior. This is a frightening suggestion because it confirms the very existence of vampires. The quality of linking Chupacabra to vampires instigates the fear of vampires that we have read about.

Radford suggests that similar to the vampires that existed many years in the past; Chupacabra's history dates back to many centuries. However, people took longer to discover Chupacabra than vampires. It's until 1995 that the Chupacabra was discovered by an eye witness in Puerto Rico; this suggests that vampires and Chupacabra might have been closely related in behavior and character than the current knowledge we have about them. This suggestion confirms that Chupacabra is frightening monsters in films. Therefore, Radford has presented reliable information towards my topic on Chupacabra; the source is relevant because it confirms the ancestral links between Chupacabra and vampires.

Redfern, N. (2015). Chupacabra Road Trip: In Search of the Elusive Beast. Llewellyn Worldwide.

The book by Redfern outlines a road trip aimed at discovering the mystical nature of the Chupacabra. The road trip confirms to him that Chupacabra has heightened senses. Although he confesses to having spent many days in regions depicted to be favorable habitats for the Chupacabra; he does not find an opportunity to see the frightening creatures. Therefore, he presumes that they used their heightened sense of hearing and vision to escape from their site. Just like vampires, Chupacabra has super senses far exceeding human senses.

Just like the vampires and bears that can smell for food 18 miles away; Chupacabra is said to have the same super sense of smell. This is not only shocking but frightening in movies; the statement suggests that one cannot hide from Chupacabra; it has the ability to detect and locate people. Therefore, it makes nothing safe when one is within an environment believed to be inhabited by Chupacabra. Sharks are equally said to have the super smelling ability during hunting. In my synthesis of the source, Chupacabra's frightening element in movies is supported in this book; they are more frightening in movies due to the heightened senses.