Moon Spiders

Appearance: Moon Spiders or Moon Child to the elves are very big spiders. The full-grown adults are about two human hands wide including their legs. Moon Spiders are often white or yellow in color; some have green, brown or rosy tints on the abdomen. The females are larger then the males but the males have longer legs. They normally have two large front eyes and have very well developed eyesight.

Habitat: Moon Spiders are nocturnal in their habits, which means they are active in the nighttime. They live in clutches or groups of 10 to 15; there are different positions within the clutch. There are hunters who hunt food for the clutch, scouts who look for prey for the hunters and those that stay in the den and protect the egg sacks. When they rest during the day they cover the small opening to their den with rocks and webs to conceal it.

Breeding: When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she weaves a tiny silk dish, then she lays her eggs in the tiny dish. Then she makes a silk lid to fit the dish and that is her egg sac. The eggs are like tiny green jewels that stay in the egg sac up to two weeks. When the spiderlings hatch, they are left to fend for themselves.

Prey: Moon Spiders feed on large insects and small rodents. To capture prey they rely on speed more then stealth and can move at a very high rate of speed. Also helps them escaping from those hunting them. They shoot out a stream of webbing to capture their prey and then paralyze it with its venom. They then drag the prey back to the clutch to share with the rest.

Venom: The venom of Moon Spider is used for both prey capture and defense. It is very strong venom and will kill a human or an elf if not treated right away. Luckily the Moon Spiders are not aggressive and must feel like it is in danger before it attacks ... for the most part it will run away when threatened.

Moon Spider Silk: The silk from the baskets or eggs sack is used by the elves for clothing. The elves usually collect the hand size baskets during the day while the spiders are sleeping. The spiders are not easily awakened, making the Gathers’ job a lot easier. The eggs themselves are also valuable to the tribe; they are boiled and the thick oily mixture is used to waterproof tent canvas and some clothing. Elves will often watch for Moon Spider activity during the night so they can follow them back to their dens and mark it for harvesting during the daylight.