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Tarantula Hawk Drake were released on May 21, 2016, alongside Nexus and Candelabra Dragons as well as Morphodrakes, as part of Dragon Cave's 10th Birthday release. As drakes, they can only breed with other drake breeds, and their eggs cannot be bitten by Vampire Dragons.

Official descriptions[]

Egg[]

A delicate web-like pattern decorates this egg’s shell.

Hatchling[]

Aww... It’s a cute baby drake. It likes to be left alone.

Mature hatchling[]

Aww... It’s a cute baby drake. It likes to be left alone.

And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing.

Adult[]

The quiet and solitary Tarantula Hawk Drake lives in deserts, digging temporary shallow nests overnight in which to sleep. They feed primarily on large spiders, but will also eat carrion, other insects, and larger prey when necessary. Tarantula Hawk Drakes are typically quite docile, preferring to mind their own business. However, when threatened or provoked, these drakes will attempt to stab the opponent with the stinger on their tail to inject a powerful venom. This sting is at the very least extremely painful, and even if the toxins don’t paralyze the attacker, the pain is likely to distract them enough for the drake to escape.

Sprite artists[]

Sprites[]

Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
Tarantula Hawk Drake Tarantula Hawk Drake egg Tarantula Hawk Drake hatchi Tarantula Hawk Drake mature hatchi Tarantula Hawk Drake adult

Egg sequence[]

Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Dead
Tarantula Hawk Drake egg Tarantula Hawk Drake crack 1 Tarantula Hawk Drake crack 2 Tarantula Hawk Drake crack 3 Tarantula Hawk Drake crack 4 Tarantula Hawk Drake crack 5 Tarantula Hawk Drake dead egg

Retired sprites[]

Temporary event sprites
Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
April Fools' Day 2018 Tarantula Hawk Drake adult AF 2018
April Fools' Day 2020 Tarantula Hawk adult AF 2020
April Fools' Day 2022 Tarantula Hawk adult AF 2022

Encyclopedia entry[]

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Appearance/Basic Anatomy

  • Tarantula Hawk Drakes are primarily blue-black in color, and are slightly shiny.
  • They have two forward-curving antlers with multiple short tines. These antlers are orange at the tip.
  • Their wings are a rich orange and sport a lighter, slightly shiny web pattern on the underside of each wing. The wings extend almost all the way down the tail, supported by three fingers and five struts.
  • They are built for running, being lithe and having long legs.
  • They have a functional stinger at the ends of their tails.
  • Hatchlings look much the same as adults, but don’t develop their stinger until they begin to mature.

Hatchling Behavior

  • Hatchlings are standoffish and prefer not to be bothered.
  • They grow very rapidly and thus they are always on the hunt for a snack.
  • They are small, nimble, and fast moving, so most predators don’t bother with them.
  • They like to scare each other as a game, leaping out from behind cacti or simply sneaking up on each other.

Adult Behavior

  • Adults are docile enough to be approached, and they are generally unafraid of people.
  • They become very aggressive when threatened and usually attempt to make themselves appear bigger by opening their wings.
  • Tarantula Hawk Drakes tend to be very quiet, but will hiss when threatened.
  • Their stinger is large and will leave a rather large and deep wound whether any toxin is injected or not. They don’t sting unless seriously endangered or angry, however.

Habitat

  • Tarantula Hawk Drakes can be found in deserts, particularly those with rough, scrubby ground cover.
  • They don’t keep a permanent nest, digging shallow holes to curl up in overnight.
  • They tend to remain in familiar areas, but don’t actively defend any territory.

Diet

  • Tarantulas and other large spiders are their primary, and favorite, food.
  • These drakes will also eat large insects and carrion.
  • They can hunt mammals for prey but prefer not to put in the effort to hunt if any spiders are around to eat.
  • Hatchlings stick to small prey like ants and crickets; anything larger is usually shared with them by a parent.

Trivia[]

  • Under the old Legacy Breed sort, these dragons sorted as "thawk" on a user's scroll.[1] As of August 14, 2016, they now sort using their Encyclopedia name.

References[]

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