Creatures That Inspired Kahlaqrabs: Acutiramus

I've spoken in my most recent podcast episode about the terrifying kahlaqrabs - nasty, deadly creatures that I created for my fantasy novel, The Pirates of Sissa - and their inspirations. Using the Sandwalker cryptid as a starting-off point, I began to research animals from the Cretaceous period whose fossils could have potentially been mistaken for proof of giant monsters roaming the Arabian deserts. This digital exploration led me to find a range of different and very real creatures that would then go on to anatomically inspire my fictional kahlaqrabs. These, in addition to scorpion, lobster, spider, and crab anatomies, have been invaluable to me in as I conceptualized my frightening desert monstrosities.

In this blog post, I want to introduce these creatures and give you an idea of which parts of them were used as inspiration for the kahlaqrabs. I have used a range of images that are not my own, but that I found on the Wikimedia Commons.

We'll go in alphabetical order, so today's post will be all about the acutiramus.

Acutiramus 

The acutiramus is a kind of eurypterid - which are sometimes referred to as sea scorpions. Here's what they probably looked like, based on fossil reconstructions:

Can you imagine these big creatures moving around on the sea floor? 😲

As you can see, it's probably evident right away why eurypterids are sometimes called sea scorpions! There are definite parallels to be made in the body structure of these creatures - and you'll see many similar features in the upcoming animals, as well.

The acutiramus grabbed my attention because of various features that gave me goosebumps (a pattern found across all of these creatures, to be fair). 

For example, there are those interesting pincers (chelae) it seems to have protruding from where I think its mouth is supposed to be. If you take a close look at them, you'll find that they have these spike-like structures on the inside - probably making it easier for them to rip things apart and crush them. They are, after all, a predatory species. I wonder what they ate!

Look at the serrated edges on some of those spikes!

 

Their eyes, which are large and round and definitely a little bit scary, are prominently featured on their heads. These were compound eyes, which are a common feature among arachnids. While these kinds of eyes don't have the best vision, they do recognize quick movement and create a wide view angle, which I think is good for a predator. Say, perhaps, a predator like a kahlaqrab?

The appendages coming out from the sides of their heads kind of look a bit like legs, though I'm not sure if that was indeed what they were. But here's the thing. Because these kinds of animals had thin legs, the conclusion that scientists have come to is that they probably didn't - and couldn't - walk on land. This is relevant since my kahlaqrabs are desert (and therefore land) animals. They'll need stronger, thicker legs that can actually allow them to run (we'll get to that with some other animals, like the scorpion and the crab). 

And then there's the size of these creatures. One fossil was found to be over two meters long! That's taller than the average human being! You can imagine my surprise when I found this out. Suddenly, these creatures seemed a lot creepier than they did before I'd learned about their size.

Thank goodness we don't have to deal with these guys on land! But look at the range! From that 20-cm specimen to one that is over 2 meters?! That's a big difference.

You can probably already tell that this gave me some great ideas for my kahlaqrabs!

Putting Together the Kahlaqrab

Several fascinating creatures come together to create one terrible Frankenstein's monster for The Pirates of Sissa, and this is just one of them. Fearsome, loathsome, and entirely evil, the kahlaqrab predates on horses, camels, humans, and even other kahlaqrabs! It camouflages into the dark sand and awaits unfortunate prey, and uses its legs to move swiftly over the sands. To learn more about this horrifying beast, you can listen to Season 2 Episode 5: Kahlaqrabs - A Deadly Scourge.

If you have any questions, or want to share your thoughts about any of these cool animals or my fantasy creatures, leave a comment down below!