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|sentience=Near-[[Human]] intelligence
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|sentience=Sentient to an unknown degree
 
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|eyes= Black (white, if blind)
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|hair= Black
  
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|native=[[:Wikipedia:Borneo|Island of Borneo]], South-east [[Asia]]
  
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|length= Larger than 15 feet
 
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|distinction=*Capable of speaking human speech
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*Taste for human flesh
 
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==Physical description==
  
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{{Quote|Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic. The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very center of the [[Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony|hollow]], while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load. |[[Harry Potter]]'s description of the acromantulas|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
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Acromantulas have eight eyes, are highly intelligent and capable of human speech. They are typically covered in thick black hair, with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet. They possess a set of giant fangs which they use to eat live prey or their own dead kin. Their pincers produce a clicking sound when they are agitated or excited.<ref name=FB>''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)]]''</ref> These fangs contain highly toxic [[Acromantula venom|venom]], valued at 100 [[Wizarding currency|Galleons]] a pint, which is even potent for a short time after death.<ref name=HP>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> Their eggs are Class A [[Non-Tradeable Material]].<ref name=FB/>
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The acromantulas sported eight, black eyes (white if blind) and are typically covered in thick black hair, with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet. They possess a set of giant fangs which they use to eat live prey or their own dead kin. Their pincers produce a clicking sound when they are agitated or excited.<ref name=FB>''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)]]''</ref>
  +
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These fangs contain highly toxic [[Acromantula venom|venom]], valued at 100 [[Wizarding currency|Galleons]] a pint, which is even potent for a short time after death.<ref name=HP>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> Their eggs are Class A [[Non-Tradeable Material]].<ref name=FB/>
   
 
The female is usually larger than the male, and can lay up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball-sized eggs at a time. They usually hatch in six to eight weeks.<ref name=FB/> Despite the names bearing a phonetic similarity to [[Tarantula]]s, they appear more like Wolf Spiders and are, in all depictions, araneomorphae.
  
The female is usually larger than the male, and can lay up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball-sized eggs at a time. They usually hatch in six to eight weeks.<ref name=FB/> Despite the names bearing a phonetic similarity to [[Tarantula]]s, they appear more like Wolf Spiders and are, in all depictions, araneomorphae.

Revision as of 13:33, 24 December 2012

An Acromantula is a species of giant spider, native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo where it inhabits dense jungle. Acromantulas are believed to be a wizard-bred species, designed to guard dwellings or treasure hoards, and were first created before the Ban on Experimental Breeding in 1965. These giant spiders, with a taste for human flesh, were first spotted in 1794.

Physical description

"Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic. The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very center of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load. "
— Harry Potter's description of the acromantulas[src]

The acromantulas sported eight, black eyes (white if blind) and are typically covered in thick black hair, with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet. They possess a set of giant fangs which they use to eat live prey or their own dead kin. Their pincers produce a clicking sound when they are agitated or excited.[1]

These fangs contain highly toxic venom, valued at 100 Galleons a pint, which is even potent for a short time after death.[2] Their eggs are Class A Non-Tradeable Material.[1]

The female is usually larger than the male, and can lay up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball-sized eggs at a time. They usually hatch in six to eight weeks.[1] Despite the names bearing a phonetic similarity to Tarantulas, they appear more like Wolf Spiders and are, in all depictions, araneomorphae.

Etymology

The name Acromantula has the Latin acro-, meaning high or "peak," and -mantula, from the English "tarantula." True to their name, Acromantulas are massive arachnids who tend to spin their expansive webs high in tree tops.

Habitat

Acromantulas tend to reside in jungles and heavily forested areas, and their webs are large and dome-shaped.[1][3]

Acromantulas in the Wizarding World

Aragog

Aragog

A colony of Acromantulas was established in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Aragog and his mate, Mosag. At first, Hagrid used to keep Aragog in a cupboard in the school's dungeons. Aragog was released into the Forest by Rubeus Hagrid at about the time of the 1943 opening of the Chamber of Secrets[3]

During the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1995, an Acromantula was positioned close to the Triwizard Cup. Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory joined forces to defeat it.[4]

HogwrtsAcromantula

Acromantulas in Hogwarts

The Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony participated in the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, when the Death Eaters drove them out of the Forest, and towards Hogwarts Castle. Rubeus Hagrid was captured by the Death Eaters after he was lost among the swarm in his efforts to protect Aragog's offspring.

The eight eyes of the Acromantula are used to symbolize the number eight in the runic alphabet.[5]

Behind the scenes

  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter used Arania Exumai, a stunning or killing spell for use against spiders, while attempting to escape the Acromantula colony. He learned the spell from Tom Riddle upon visiting the latter's sixteen year old memory in his diary. The spell was never mentioned in the novel.
  • The Acromantulas in the film closely resemble wolf spiders than actual tarantulas.
  • In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ron pens in nine "X"s to Acromantula's Classification. This is a reference to Ron's fear of spiders.
  • The basilisk is the worst enemy of all spiders, feared so much that the spiders do not even speak of it. It is their worst enemy due to the basilisk's killing gaze and the fact that spiders have many eyes. In the case of Acromantulas, they have 8 eyes, making them highly vulnerable. They also have no eyelids.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)
  2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  5. ↑ J. K. Rowling's Official Site
  6. ↑ In the Chamber of Secrets, a door is about to close. You can then see an Acromantula walking towards you before the door is closed.

See also

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 85 images related to Acromantula.
Study of Ancient Runes
Ancient Runes Made Easy
Professors: Bathsheda Babbling · Clodagh Dromgoole · Elspeth MacGillony
Textbooks: Advanced Rune Translation · Ancient Runes Made Easy · Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms · Rune Dictionary · Spellman's Syllabary
Known runes: Acromantula · Demiguise · Ehwaz · Eihwaz · Fwooper · Graphorn · Hydra · Quintaped · Runespoor · Salamander · Unicorn · Unknown · Mark of Merlin
Magical creatures by classification
X Flobberworm · Horklump
XX Augurey · Bowtruckle · Chizpurfle · Clabbert · Diricawl · Fairy · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Imp · Jobberknoll · Mooncalf · Porlock · Puffskein · Ramora · Winged horse
XXX Ashwinder · Billywig · Bundimun · Crup · Doxy · Dugbog · Fire crab · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Hippocampus · Hippogriff · Hodag · Jarvey · Knarl · Kneazle · Leprechaun · Lobalug · Mackled Malaclaw · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Nogtail · Pixie · Plimpy · Pogrebin · Red Cap · Salamander · Sea serpent · Shrake · Streeler · Winged horse
XXXX Centaur · Demiguise · Erkling · Erumpent · Golden Snidget · Graphorn · Griffin · Hidebehind · Kappa · Kelpie · Merperson · Occamy · Phoenix · Re'em · Runespoor · Snallygaster · Sphinx · Tebo · Thestral · Thunderbird · Troll · Unicorn · Winged horse · Yeti
XXXXX Acromantula · Basilisk · Chimaera · Dragon · Horned Serpent · Lethifold · Manticore · Nundu · Quintaped · Wampus cat · Werewolf
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