Ankheg

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An ankheg is a fictitious creature from the Dungeons and Dragons and Final Fantasy I fantasy role playing games. It is a monstrous arthropod magical beast.

1 Physical description
2 Habitat and society
3 Ecology
4 Ankhegs in other media
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Physical description

An ankheg has six legs and a many-segmented body, all covered in a brown (some closer to yellow) chitininous exoskeleton. The head has black compound eyes, mandibles capable of snapping small trees, and antennae. Usually, ankhegs do not create tunnels, and simply burrow down into the ground. However, they are able to make tunnels if they dig slowly. When seriously pressed, it can spit acid. Spitting acid is usually a last resort, as it cannot digest food for several hours afterwards. Ankhegs are around 10 feet long and weigh 800 lbs.

[edit] Habitat and society

The ankheg can be found near forests or agricultural land, which can make them a danger to farmers. However, they are often tolerated since their tunnels are beneficial to the land.

[edit] Ecology

While an ankheg is able to survive from organic matter in the soil, they prefer a diet of meat. While hunting, an ankheg will either lie below the surface or else simply burrow into the ground until it detects prey overhead. Somewhat similar to an antlion, the ankheg will attempt to grab the prey with its mandibles. Stomach excretions aid the ankheg in consuming prey that are too large to be immediately swallowed.

While the ankheg itself has no natural predators, humans will occasionally hunt them to protect farmers or else to harvest their shell and digestive enzymes. The shell can be fashioned into armour, highly valued both for its protection and light weight.