#siue

Tigarantulas (top left) comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Felinus Theraphosidae. As of Marchtebruary 2025, a single species has been identified and has proliferated across much of what was once Southern Illinois. A subterranean land-bridge formed due to geological disturbances caused by the use of nuclear weapons in the Forever World War had introduced irradiated tarantulas unto the habitats of native tigers. These tarantulas bite resulted in a mutation of tiger offspring, resulting in their previously vivaporous gestation cycle now expelling hundreds of egg sacuoles containing the embryonic tigerantulas.  They have become an auspiscious presence to the pockets of surviving humanoid civilisations as despite becoming both larger (about the size of a large pre-war banana) and predatorily voracious they are meticulous at maintaining radioactive rodentia populations and have a domestic feline temperament towards humans. That said, they are not often kept as pets on account of their tendency to swarm and migrate following rodent hordes.