Dridder Palps

I have once believed that spiders were evolving a fifth pair of legs, but it turns out I was making a common mistakes with their palps. For those who don't know, spider palps look like a fifth pair of shorter legs directly next to their mouth. From what I believe, their palps are basically the hands of the spider for when it eat its prey. Then I saw the pictuer of Aether's Dridder, Reya, and she has a pair of palps. Here's my question: what is the purpose of this pair of palps? They are far too short to act as a pair of hands, except maybe carry ONE extra prey. Is it a core component of Dridder anatomy?

In real life, or in Felarya?


Reya's are explained in detail, and modeled after real life. Well sort of - they do help her to spin her prey - I don't really know of any spiders with limbs that secret powerful pheromones to subdue prey, but it was something I wanted to try. Spiders do have a intricate way of communicating with others of their own species, some of them with some rather elaborate courtship dances. The pheromones thing in the Jewel Dridder's case was a way of me expounding upon that, a way for them to communicate in a way more expressive than just words or body language. Reya's just taken hers to a whole other level.


A male spider uses its pedipalps to act as syringes to store sperm they collect from a sperm web and inject into the receptacles of the female. Females use them for handling prey mostly, but some have adapted to use them for other purposes as well - such as an extra sensory surface or the like.


I think most people assume that the human hands of a tauric dridder count as its pedipalps, but I gave Jewel Dridders pedipalps to set them apart from all the other dridders in Felarya and to assist their large body with a variety of tasks. Of course, it could just be that most people, like yourself, completely misinterpret the limbs of a spider. I know many people, myself included, often thought of their pedipalps as a large pair of fangs visible on certain spiders until I came across the huge orb weavers and realized they had ten limbs. A lot of the larger arachnids have ten limbs making it quite obvious - its just the 'ordinary' everyday spiders where it is more difficult to tell.

Most spiders use them for reproduction.

Not sure how that would work with a dridder though.

EDIT: Got beaten to it.

Given the nature of a Dridder's stature, aren't they just too short? Everything they could possibly accomplish are rendered obsolete by the simple presence of human hands. It's nice for her to set them appart, but all I can see it useful for are a smaller pair of fangs for smaller creatures and maybe knitting. Other than that, they strike to me as nothing but mere decoration. Speaking of reproduction, notice how almost all predators on Felarya have human reproductive organs?

Sean Okotami wrote:

Given the nature of a Dridder's stature, aren't they just too short? Everything they could possibly accomplish are rendered obsolete by the simple presence of human hands. It's nice for her to set them appart, but all I can see it useful for are a smaller pair of fangs for smaller creatures and maybe knitting. Other than that, they strike to me as nothing but mere decoration. Speaking of reproduction, notice how almost all predators on Felarya have human reproductive organs?

Depends on the spider. Some use them more or less just as antennae.

Reya does not have human reproductive organs. The Jewel Dridder process is different and takes a path like some of the other more specialized races on earth can, such as the komodo dragon.


Also, how well do you think human hands manage silk? I doubt its well. It was one thing that always bothered me about dridders. Imagining them trying to weave their silk without tools. Like I annotated in the Jewel Dridder idea, its my impression/idea that other dridders used to have pedipalps but evolved out of them over time. They're intelligent enough to make tools, so the need for a natural set would have expired eventually - they probably shrank in size until they just vanished. Reya's class however have maintained theirs due to the unique properties they have and their very limited gene pools.


Reading up on spiders, they need to keep at least four of their limbs on the ground for stability at all times. Reya is an orb weaver, and as such unlike other dridders that actively hunt she is a patient waiter. She's not using those limbs to grasp and hold prey, only to help her weave her webs and as developed structures to deliver her pheromones. They also help her transverse from vertical to horizontal surfaces, where they would be able to touch the surface. The claws that terminate those limbs have a much finer control than her others as well.


The one other dridder that could actively benefit from pedipalps are the trapdoor dridders. Real life trapdoor spiders use their pedipalps and forelegs to grasp the 'door' of their nest, using the other six limbs to quickly propel themselves out to grab prey.



Edit: I think I should also add, that originally, Reya did not have pedipalps. Autu drew her forward set of limbs rather small based on the reference images I supplied her with, and I told her that I liked the idea and wanted to keep them - just add in another real pair of legs. I developed the idea for pheromones and delicate operations and transversing surfaces later on to provide substance to the idea.

I always assumed Dridders used their posterior and anterior legs for weaving. Notice how they all stand tall? I recall normal spiders stand very low with their legs spread out, which helps the palps. But Dridders stand very tall, which makes me wonder how tiny tip toes can support all that weight without breaking. Also, not all Dridders actively hunt. I mine rely mostly on patient waiting or laying down traps. Keep in mind, I'm not too knowledgeable about spiders cause I don't do that much research.

Reya's aren't that tiny. While she's not going to support all of her weight upon them, she doesn't have to. Its just to help her traverse. Using their limbs to weave like that is one way, but it requires them standing over their prey. Spiders don't typically like exposing themselves in such a way to their prey, as often its writhing in their web and the struggles can injure them.


Now, obviously a human isn't going to injure a giant dridder this way, but imagine them trying to take down a naga... something that could definitely put up one hell of a fight. Would you want to stand atop it, or aside from it? I know my preference. Most of the other dridders I see in Felarya are active hunters or at least actively engaged in hunting even when using webs. They're not like Reya's type, with massive webs and intricate structures. Reya's body gait gives her an extreme disadvantage in the hunting arena...


It is not my intention to say that other dridders need pedipalps however. I included them on Reya to set her apart. And because I liked the idea of using them as specialized natural tools. Her pedipalps are sort of like how other creatures use their antennae for communication, like I explained earlier. Using pheromones to convey messages with spoken word and body language, amplifying the effects greatly. Reya is a bit odd in that she also uses hers to sooth her prey, but its not a far stretch to imagine. I don't know of any real world spiders that actually use such methods - it was merely my adaptation of the intricate mating dances the tiny males have to keep the massive female orb weavers from eating them.


Also, I agree that most spiders keep their weight distributed out whilst dridders usually use theirs to stand tall. Reya is no exception - she also does this. That is why originally my height description for her was going to be head to cephalothorax, not head to ground - as holding her legs in different ways would vastly alter her height. I decided in the end to go with convention, but it is still my intention that her height varies depending on her stances.

Looking on dridders now, I think that they stand farr too straight to be comfortable. Their legs are twigs, how can they stand up so straight? It can't be comfortable. I think they should be spread a bit and stand a bit lower. Sure, they'll be more bulky, kinda, but I think it'll benefit them. I don't know how exactly, though.

Some spiders do keep their legs tucked in close, like tarantulas for instance. Orb weavers typically keep them spread out to balance on their webs. I think a mixture is necessary for dridders, dependent on their lifestyles. I don't really think Reya's legs are twigs, they're at least as thick as her arms and unlike those they don't have extraneous crap in them.


See, spider legs use an advanced hydraulics system to move. This hasn't been fleshed out in Felarya, as it would be difficult to do so realistically, and is one of those points best left alone. However, I think its best to at least imagine them in this way, using an advanced locomotion method that utilizes some form of biomass hydraulic system to create motion. This means their limbs would be incredibly powerful, able to support their weight and deliver hefty blows against enemies. It also means they wouldn't have to worry about them being in odd positions for extended periods of time, as they don't have the interior structure similar to a human or other animal. If you look at how spider's can hold their legs and the places they can crawl into, I'd say its fair to imagine that their legs are quite robust indeed.

The question about the palps looks similar to the forked tongue and split pupils for nagas, antennas and pointed ears for fairies or feline eyes for nekos and pantaurs. They look to me an option, the writers are free to add or not. This topics is interesting to read because it gives many ideas to develop a dridder character and gives it more specific features in addition of the possible multiple eyes.

One day, I saw a two different picture did by the same artist about two dridders one with palps and another without ones both were excellent so I don't think it will make a huge difference except in the lifestyle of the two characters but if a dridders has or hasn't palps, it's not necessary a good or a bad thing.