Hunting Crab

The **Hunting Crab** is a dangerous alien species native to Sumati, mostly in the coniferous forest biome.

## Overview

**Hunting Crabs** are a large predatory species that inhabit the planet of Sumati. They are notably larger than the player, being at least a meter taller. They don't appear particularly similar to any real species of crab, with fewer legs, and extremely bulbous torso, and massive blunt claws. They can be found in an abundance in the Coniferous Forest biome, however occasionally in deciduous forests and mountains throughout Sumati.

## Anatomy & Physiology

By comparison, the Hunting Crab is a unique species as it doesn't share an appearance with an Earth species of crab. It does however, resemble other Sumati species since it's an arthropod with features from decapods and arachnids. It is by far the largest species of fauna that inhabits Sumati, and is additionally the most dangerous, making it the apex predator of Sumati and perhaps the Narion system as a whole. As with most species on this planet, the entire body is covered by a thick protective carapace making a durable shell, however the Hunting Crab's shell is much more protective and allows them to withstand heavy gunfire and explosives. Outside of their protective shell, they also naturally have a large health pool.

To back up the defense, the Hunting Crab is also very well adapted in it's offensive abilities. The crab walks upon four large legs, however they also have a set of four much smaller legs. These long, large legs allow the Hunting Crab to move at great speed, and close the distance between it and it's prey rapidly. While moving, it can also dodge incoming attacks including gunfire, usually by jumping to the left or right quickly. The most visible feature is the two large arms of the Hunting Crab, each of which end in large clubbed pincers, which function better as a blunt weapon than the conventional pincers for grabbing. The Dactyl (opposable underside of the pincer) is far smaller than the rest of the claw, so it most likely is only effective for assistance in grabbing or eating non-living objects or already killed prey. The idea that the pincers are used as a blunt weapon is further reinforced by the fact they are covered in a large number of small spikes to maximize damage done to their prey.

The head and face of the Hunting Crab is highly arachnid in appearance. The most arachnid-like feature is the mouth, which appears always open and surrounded by several bony fangs of a sort, most likely to assist in poisoning their prey. Similar to some species of spiders and scorpions, the crabs are able to spit venom at their targets, however they usually only do this once they are out of range and unable to be struck by their claws. Their head bears six eyes, unlike spiders which have 8

## Behavior

The behavior of the Hunting Crab is also unlike most other species on the planet. The best example of this is that the Hunting Crab can be seen sleeping at night, which is a behavior unseen by any other Sumati native species. If disturbed by a player or Herding Boneback Scavenger, the crab will awaken and begin to attack what awoke it. Although the Hunting Crab is described as "Defensive", they are very much a hostile species, and they can almost always be found attacking (and almost always overpowering) herds of boneback scavengers. They aren't quite as volatile towards the player, and they will briefly attempt to ward off the player before attacking. If the player accepts this and backs off, the crab will continue wandering about instead of attacking. They do not exhibit any form of pack or herd behavior, and usually are found alone or in pairs, perhaps insisting that although they don't have pack instincts, they do potentially mate for life and stick together in this pair.

The exhibit slightly enhanced intelligence over other Sumati species, as evidenced by their decision making. The best evidence to this is them seeing the player as a larger threat than most other animals, deciding to attempt to ward them away instead of engaging in combat with the player immediately. Their ability to sense immediate incoming danger and dodge out of the way is also interesting, considering they would most likely have little comprehension of what firearms are and how they are able to hurt and possibly kill them (outlaw factions like the Crimson Fleet do exist on Sumati however, making it possible this is how they know).

## Combat

Any attempts to combat the Hunting Crabs, or simply traverse the Coniferous Forest biome of Sumati should be heavily considered, as the crabs are extremely dangerous and make any biomes they exist within in large numbers also dangerous. Direct combat is highly discouraged as they are very damage-resistant and will quickly be within melee range of you, at which point you will not be able to escape as they are far faster than the player. If you do succeed in getting out of range of the Hunting Crab, it will continue to spit toxic chemicals at you until one of you die.

Two methods are advisable, quick and brutal force or stealth attacks. Quick and brutal force should be best done through the use of high powered or rapid firing weapons that will quickly drain the health of the crab before it can get to your location. The other safer attempt being stealth, as a proper silenced rifle can quickly bring down the hunting crab in a few shots (an Old Earth Hunting Rifle can kill one in 3-4 shots with stealth damage). When possible, take advantage of the fact they will attempt to scare you away before deciding to fight you, allowing you to back away and continue on your journey without the risk of injury or death.