Spring-spider

It ... It came out of nowhere... It just leaped at him, grapped him, and dragged him into a hole in the ground ... I think it was the nest ... But that wasn't the worst part! You could still hear the screams from him and his horse after it dragged them into the nest.

— Fellow soldier of a spring-spider victim

In the southwestern part of Erekiath, south of Haistone lies The Wildlands, an untamed area with dangerous wildlife and other creatures. Among the most horrifying animals is the Spring-spider. No one has ever studied it up close, as that means you'll be dead shortly after. There are, however, several eye witness accounts, to give a fairly accurate picture of just how dangerous this creature is.

Yeah, I saw it running across the plains. It was huge, bigger than a horse, but silent as a ... well nothing, I couldn't hear it! One thing is certain - I'm never hunting there again!

— A hunter from Fort Hemwick

Basic Information

Anatomy

As any other spider, the spring-spider has eight legs. The four forelegs are quite long and are used to grab its victim. The four hindlegs are slightly shorter, but thicker, and are used both for leaping, but also to move back towards the nest while grappling the victim with its forelegs.
Although its hunting tactics rely on stealth and speed, its formidable physique and poisonous bite, makes it an extremely dangerous predator, even when caught out of its element.

Genetics and Reproduction

Reproduction for the spring-spider is somewhat different than for the more commonly known spiders. Among spring-spiders, only one in ten is male, and the lifestyle for males and females are quite different.
Males spend their entire adult life looking for female spiders to mate with. It is more nomadic in nature, and will only build temporary nests, from where it hunts for nourishment until it is ready to find a new mate.
The females only change nest after successfully hatching their eggs. The only exception is if their nest is somehow compromised, or the hunting ground is depleted for food.
Females spend most of their adult life inside their nest, waiting for prey, or for a male to mate with. Whenever a female is ready to mate, it sends out subtle vibrations in the ground, which allows the males to find them.
The mating happens fast. The male deposits it sperm into the female, and then simply leaves, to find another female to mate with. The female stores the sperm inside its body, and can hold on to it for several months, before deciding to make her eggs fertile.
The ability to store the sperm for an extended period of time allows the female to hunt enough sustenance in which to lay its eggs. It lays between two to four eggs and will stay in the nest and continue to hunt for food, until the eggs hatch, at which point it will leave the nest to find new hunting grounds, and built a new nest from where it repeats the entire cycle.

Growth Rate & Stages

A spring-spider takes around two weeks to hatch from an egg as a hatchling. The egg is around the same size as a large chicken egg, and has a light red color. A hatchling initially has the same size as a large chicken, but will quickly grow, depending on how much sustenance is available to it.
Within two to four weeks, depending on the amount of available food, it will have grown into the size of a small dog, at which point it is considered a young adult and will leave the nest, to go and build its own, from where it will hunt smaller game like rabbits or similar size. It will gradually increase the size of its nest as it grows and starts to hunt larger and larger prey. After around a year, it is considered an adult and will have an average size of a pony.

Ecology and Habitats

The spring-spider prefers open and humid areas for its nests, as it prefers to hunt in the open. Increased humidity makes it easier to build a nest in the ground, and allows it to extract water directly from the soil.
Some young adults may build their nests at the edges of forests, as smaller animals are usually more readily available there.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The spring-spider is carnivorous. Contrary to popular belief, it will not eat living prey, it actually prefers its food a bit decayed, as it is easier for it to digest.

Biological Cycle

An adult male spring-spider, only purpose in life is to mate. It will only stop looking for a mate when it needs nourishments, at which point it will build a temporary nest, and hunt until it has regained its strength. A male spring-spider can fill up its stomach and sustain itself for several weeks, before needing to eat again.
The adult female will announce when it is ready to mate, which is usually right after setting up a new nest.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The spring-spider has been sighted in most of the world, but the most prevalent and documented place is the south-western part of Erekiath, as well as in the Wildlands, which is just south-west of Erekiath.

Average Intelligence

Although it has quite devious hunting tactics, it is widely believed that most is based on instinct. It is considered slightly above average in intelligence, compared to other animals.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Although most species of spiders have eight eyes, this particular spider only has three, one center front, and two slightly to the sides of the head. It does not rely much on its sight however, instead it is extremely sensitive to vibrations in the ground, which is how it detects prey while lurking safely in its underground nest.

Hunting Strategy

By sensing vibrations in the ground, it determines the location and size of its would-be prey. Once the prey is in range, it will peak out of its nest to visually identify the target, and within less than a second it is able to jump at its target with incredible speed and precision.
It primarily uses its hind legs for the jump, and while midair it will spread out all legs, preparing to grab its target. On impact it will grab onto the victim with all legs, quickly positioning them to its own advantage, so it can control the prey with the forelegs while using the hind legs to carry itself and its victim, back to the nest. Once inside the nest, it will bite the victim, and immediately start to encase it with its web.
The bite is extremely painful and will cause most victims to scream out in pain if they're not already doing that out of fear. Based on statements from witnesses, it takes quite a while for the victim to die from the poison.
Once the victim has been encased in the web, the spring-spider leaves it on the ground inside the nest, either saving it for its eggs or to eat later for nourishment, depending on the gender and the situation.

Civilization and Culture

Common Myths and Legends

The size of a wyvern ye say? Bah, pure horse manure! I fell into a nest once! Ach the smell was horrible, and I admit so was the spider, but it wasn't bigger than this pint o' ale. I kicked it with all me strength, sending it flying. I tell ya lad, it ran away faster than a drunkard trying to avoid his tab! These travelling types, they exagerate just to get ya to buy them a pint! - Oh, it's yer round next, aint it?!

— An unimpressed dwarf that probably stepped in the nest of a very young spring-spider

While there's no doubt about the existence of the spring-spider, there are many exaggerated stories about them, especially in the larger cities, where most common folk relies on information from travelers to get a picture of what the 'outside world' looks like.

Lifespan

40 years

Average Height

1.7m for males
1.9m for females

Average Weight

100kg for males
120kg for females

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The legs are black, while the body has a dirt brown color, with green stripes, making it good at camouflaging in grassy areas.