Creatures That Inspired Kahlaqrabs: Crabs

The Sandwalker cryptid that got me conceptualizing my kahlaqrabs basically looks like a giant crab with a bird head and a scorpion stinger. The kahlaqrab (which is an original beast I've built that features in my fantasy novel, The Pirates of Sissa) isn't quite so wide as to look like a giant crab, but the idea of it having a tough exoskeleton and two front pincers is something that I quite liked for the monster concept. So, of course, I checked out what else about crab anatomy might be helpful in my creature design!

All the images linked here are from the Wikimedia Commons.

Crabs

While crabs are sea creatures, they also have the ability to travel and live on land. This, as you might remember from the post on the Acutiramus, is a really important element for my kahlaqrabs. Not only do they need to be able to walk on land, seeing as how they're based in the Black Desert, they also need to be able to move quickly through the sand and bury themselves underneath it to hunt unsuspecting prey. 

Notice that they also have carapaces - hardened armor-plate shells or exoskeletal parts that hide their heads - and, in the crab's case, the rest of their body apart from their legs.

Crabs have other really cool features! 

Let's take a look at the horned ghost crab, pictured below. Notice the eyes and how they extend from the body on eyestalks. A kahlaqrab's eyes are located closer to the body, protected by the exoskeleton. 

I am still considering what types of eyes the kahlaqrabs have, simply because of the type of creature they are - living on land, not quite small enough to be an insect, but not a reptile, either, to have reptile eyes. Something to be considered! I feel like a compound eye may be a weak point when it comes to battle - but then, that might actually be a good thing to have. After all, I don't want to make them completely indestructible!

 

Notice in the image above how the legs stand on the sand - not quite sinking into the sand. And notice the relative thickness and strength of the front pincers - the chelae - compared to the rest of its legs. In fact, take a look at this video featuring googly-eyed crabs walking along the shore in Mozambique.

 

In terms of size, the Japanese Spider Crab is currently the largest crab specimen to be found on Earth. That we know of. If you've ever seen photographs of this crab, you'll notice it has very long legs - hence the name 'spider crab'. 

When a crab loses a limb in a fight, it eventually grows back. This is a pretty nifty survival perk - and one that I have also added to my kahlaqrab design!

Finally, crabs don't have teeth inside their mouths, though some of them have teeth in their abdomens that they can use to help digest their food! The idea of teeth inside the abdomen is intriguing, but I've instead decided to give the kahlaqrab a particularly potent stomach acid that allows it to break down its food - which it doesn't chew - in record time.

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!