This small but deadly pest is native to Nar Bo Sholla (see Wanted by Cracken, page 60). Black market trade, however, has spread it throughout the galaxy and into the menageries of unscrupulous collectors and brutal assassins. Though tiny enough to escape casual notice, the spor crawler's powerful poison often leads to painful death for beings stung by its double-pronged stinger.
Spor crawlers typically hide themselves in dirt or sand or scuttle into small hiding places - into drawers, beneath pillows, under beds - to await their prey. In the wild, these creatures gather into hives of between five to 50 individuals. When some other being disturbs them, they launch themselves from hiding and attack en masse, filling large targets with their poison. The crawlers then feast on the corpse, laying caches of eggs when they are finished. Solitary crawlers act in much the same way; when "prey" approaches, they fling themselves out into the open and sting repeatedly. Although solitary crawlers rarely carry eggs, investigators into sudden deaths often gain clues from the telltale marks the crawlers leave.
A spor crawler's sting is exceedingly painful; many creatures can be incapacitated by a single wound, and the agony suffered from multiple stings can only be imagined. Although simple medpac treatment quickly drains the poison from one's system, the pain can linger for days. Lone victims of the crawler's poison usually perish within a standard hour or less. For this reason, they are prized by assassins with a sadistic bent.
Crawler anatomy is simple; large multifaceted eyes grant the creature a wide field of vision, while eight thin legs propel it quickly across gritty terrain. It should be noted that crawlers often flounder on smooth metal, plastic or tile - their tiny claws cannot find purchase on slick surfaces. A sharp "beak" and digging claws below the eyes allow the crawler to burrow quickly into soft sand or flesh. They carry their deadly double stinger over their backs and can sting targets from any angle if they are within reach. Unlike most insects, spor crawlers do not have a hard outer carapace - they are easily killed if stepped upon. Despite this, they are hardy creatures, able to adapt to nearly any environment if given time.
In groups, spor crawlers mate whenever possible, laying their eggs in dead prey. These eggs resemble tiny black pellets and hatch within a standard week. Young crawlers grow to maturity in about two months, during which time they are provided for by their mother. Many crawler hives begin as family groups; young members wander off if the local wildlife can no longer support the hive, often forming new hives with other "refugees." Spor crawlers live for an average of three standard years, although they can live far longer in captivity. Crawlers continue to grow with age: the oldest (and largest) spor crawler on record lived for nearly 10 years and measured half a meter from end to end.
Because of their traditional use as assassins' pets, spor crawler ownership is strictly regulated. Many systems forbid collectors from purchasing spor crawlers at all, and others require that such specimens be registered with the local creature control board and be de-venomed. Nevertheless, black market sales thrive. Such a useful and deadly creature cannot be ignored by morbid collectors or ruthless killers. | 
