Creature Languages, 1/12, Period 3

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

A fishbowl-sized terrarium has been placed on Dream's desk, and students who look closely may notice a small brown arachnid within it, crouched between two rocks.

"Hello.

I have decided to start the term with a discussion with a creature who many of you might be wary of, a Brown Recluse Spider. Like all spiders, brown recluses are arachnids, not insects. This means they have only two body segments instead of three; a fused head and thorax (called a cephalothorax or prosoma) and an abdomen (called the opisthosoma), supported by an exoskeleton composed mainly of chitin.

Spiders also have eight legs (insects have six), no antennae, and their eyes are single lenses rather than compound eyes. Additionally spiders have pedipalps (or just palps), at the base of which are coxae or maxillae next to their mouth that aid in masticating food; the ends of the palp are modified in adult males into elaborate and often species specific structures used for mating.

In short? Do not refer to our guest, who you may call Aunt Nancy, as a "bug."

And do not fear her. Brown recluses bite only when disturbed, and she is bold for her breed. No harm will come to you from her."

As he speaks, Dream reaches into the terrarium and draws out the small brown spider. She crouches on his palm, then waves a foreleg.

//Hey there, children.//

"She is greeting you. I will interpret for the duration of class, but I believe you will pick up on her cues soon enough."

"As always, I am in my office after class."

Comments

Re: Talk to the creature

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige looks at Aunt Nancy for a moment before deciding on her question, "Are you one of the breeds of spiders that eats their mate?" she asks, not meaning to offend her, right now she thinks it's a pretty good system.

Re: Talk to the creature

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander shuddered, given his own experiences with mate-eating insects. Spiders might not make hm nervous, but that certainly gave him the flaming heebie-jeebies.

Re: Talk to the creature

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Aunt Nancy shoots out a little jet of web at this question.

//Do I do what? No, honey. Truth to tell, we don't see much of the boys -- they come around at mating time and then run back off to their own webs. No need to eat 'em, they're gone before we get hungry.//

Re: Talk to the creature

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige frowns slightly, "I'm sorry I didn't mean any offence, it's just that's what black widows do right?"

Re: Talk to the creature

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

//No offense taken, it's just not anything I'd want to do. There's too much else to eat without starting on the men.// If Paige understood Spider, she would be able to tell Aunt Nancy's answer was good-natured.

Dream interjects at this point. "Some breeds do eat their mates much of the time, Miss Matthews, yes. Brown recluses don't. Animal cultures are as particular as human ones."

Re: Talk to the creature

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

She smiles slightly at Aunt Nancy, "yeah good point," she says to her.

She nods to Dream then, "of course, thank you sir."