HOME | DD

Description
A request from Bwappi on tumblr to create “some kind of arthropod”, which I did some accompanying specbio writing for in line with my worldbuilding project:

A somewhat distant cousin of the viorrn, or ‘snow-worm’, the tokti* (from the onomatopeia 'tok', after the noises it makes, and 'ti', little) is an arthropod native to Paneia’s sunward-equatorial regions, most often found inland and in temperate forests. Much like Earth’s woodlice, they are detritivores, although they are much larger in size - generally around the size of a human hand, with some variation. Their spines and false eye spots have evolved to ward off threats.

Snow-worms are edible, but must have their heads removed before consumption due to a strong, unpleasant taste; tokti, however, carry a similar unpleasant taste in their whole bodies, as well as a potent toxin found in the blue-pigmented areas of both their bodies and their cuticles (shells). Because of this, they have few natural predators; in times where populations become unmanageable in a particular area, culled tokti may be collected for use in dye making, although the process to remove the toxicity from the blue pigment is extensive and not generally considered worthwhile. Lower-grade versions of the dye do exist, but are notoriously dangerous to work with.

Despite their toxicity, tokti are remarkably docile and make good pets - they are only poisonous if ingested, not via skin contact, so they can be safely held, and they are not known to bite. They may wave their antennae, curl up, and/or create popping noises from inside of their shells when feeling threatened.

Description
A request from Bwappi on tumblr to create “some kind of arthropod”, which I did some accompanying specbio writing for in line with my worldbuilding project:

A somewhat distant cousin of the viorrn, or ‘snow-worm’, the tokti* (from the onomatopeia 'tok', after the noises it makes, and 'ti', little) is an arthropod native to Paneia’s sunward-equatorial regions, most often found inland and in temperate forests. Much like Earth’s woodlice, they are detritivores, although they are much larger in size - generally around the size of a human hand, with some variation. Their spines and false eye spots have evolved to ward off threats.

Snow-worms are edible, but must have their heads removed before consumption due to a strong, unpleasant taste; tokti, however, carry a similar unpleasant taste in their whole bodies, as well as a potent toxin found in the blue-pigmented areas of both their bodies and their cuticles (shells). Because of this, they have few natural predators; in times where populations become unmanageable in a particular area, culled tokti may be collected for use in dye making, although the process to remove the toxicity from the blue pigment is extensive and not generally considered worthwhile. Lower-grade versions of the dye do exist, but are notoriously dangerous to work with.

Despite their toxicity, tokti are remarkably docile and make good pets - they are only poisonous if ingested, not via skin contact, so they can be safely held, and they are not known to bite. They may wave their antennae, curl up, and/or create popping noises from inside of their shells when feeling threatened.