COMC Acromantula

An Acromantula is a species of giant spider, native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo where it inhabits dense jungles. Acromantulas are believed to be a wizard-bred species, designed to guard dwellings or treasure hoards, and were first created before the Ban on Experimental Breeding in 1965. These giant spiders with a taste for human flesh were first spotted in 1794, and they are the first creature we have studied with a Ministry of Magic Classification of XXXXX. Creatures with this classification are known wizard killers, and are impossible to train or domesticate. Acromantulas sport eight, black eyes (white if blind) and are typically covered in thick black hair, with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet. They are the size of a carthorse, if adult. They possess a set of giant chelicerae which they use to eat live prey or their own dead kin. Their pincers produce a clicking sound when they are agitated or excited. They also secrete poison when excited. They are sentient, and capable of human speech. The fangs contain highly toxic venom, valued at 100 Galleons a pint in 1996. The female is usually larger than the male, and can lay up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball-sized eggs at a time. They usually hatch in six to eight weeks. Acromantula eggs are a Class A Non-Tradable Goods. In contrary to most non-magical spiders, Acromantulas are social animals, who live in large colonies consisting of hundreds of their species. These colonies are led by the oldest male and female of said colonies, who are highly respected and met with absolute obedience. Acromantulas are capable of forming emotional attachments to other sentient beings, but only if they are raised well from a very young age. A good example is the friendship between Aragog and Rubeus Hagrid, with the latter having raised the giant spider from when he was still in his egg. However, this friendship does not automatically extend to people associated with whoever managed to win the respect of an Acromantula nor do other members of a colony automatically treat said person as friend, as they will first and foremost treat humans and other sentient beings like prey. Whenever a member of an Acromantula colony dies, his or her corpse will be eaten by the other spiders upon death. This includes the leaders of a colony. It is not known if a dead Acromantula will be mourned by other members of its species so it cannot be said for certain if this is a funeral rite or simply a way to acquire food. The basilisk is the worst enemy of all spiders, including Acromantulas, feared so much that they do not even dare to speak of it.