Category:Scolor Spider

Credit: Vluharqih

Native to: Etzos and Surrounding Countryside

Quick Facts: Large Spider with a Milkable Gland

Height: 1"

Width: 4"

Length: 4"

Weight: <1kg

Appearance: The Scolor Spider is relatively unassuming, a mottled brown fur covering its body. It has eight legs and looks very similar to a wolf spider found in Northern Idalos. The spider prefers to create their webs over holes in the ground, catching those who fall into the trap. The holes are not a threat to humans, and often these spiders are viewed as a pest rather than a threat.

Habitat: These spiders more or less surround Etzos for several hundred miles. They prefer living underground and dislike overly wet terrain. Forests are ideal, though grasslands come in a close second. Farmlands also rank highly, as any pests that infect crops will become easy prey for the spider.

Lifespan and Development: They are born from a large sack of eggs, as are most spiders. They then scatter, falling off their mother as she makes her final trek. They are not territorial, and often one might find three or four of these spiders within a few square meters, though much of that is based on chance. When it comes time to mate, the female spiders travel, searching for a mate.

During mating, the mother will snap off the father's penis inside of her, creating a rudimentary "plug" to ensure she stays fertilized. The male spider becomes incredibly aggressive during this time and will fight nearby unmated males. Their poison gland goes into overdrive, producing inordinate amounts of toxin. If they don't use it, the excess will drip off their stinger. After several trials, the male spider will die from starvation, all his energy having gone into creating the toxin.

The mother spider then returns to her original nesting grounds, dropping off baby spiders along the way. When she arrives, she will die and provide sustenance for those spiders who managed to hold on the entire time. Theses spiders are far more likely to survive than their counterparts, which leads to finding these spiders in scattered clumps.

Diet: They will often eat small rodents such as mice or voles. Their poison causes the animal to stiffen and cramp, allowing the spider to freely drink of their blood. They spin a thick, heavy string that catches these animals and can assist in decomposition. Often larger animals such as a cat can be slowed down enough by the venom to be drunk from. It typically wears off after two to three breaks, longer the smaller the animal is.
If a human is bit, they would experience slight cramping of the nearest muscle and swelling in the area. This would dissipate after two to three breaks.

Temperament: Non-territorial until post-mating when the male becomes extremely aggressive. These spiders never target humans, nor does the aggression transfer to species other than their own.

Abilities: Their poison is currently being processed in Etzos to isolate the muscle-stiffening aspect, which is then to be used for torture purposes.