Climate/Terrain: Arctic, Glacial
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: None
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivorous
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-6
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 6, Br 20 (in snow and ice)
Hit Dice: 12
THAC0: 8
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 2-20 / 1-8 / 1-6 / 1-6
Special Attacks: See Below
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Huge (50' length)
Morale: Steady (11)
XP Value: 1,750
These scaled worms are the terror of the arctic lands. They can reach lengths of fifty feet (50'), burrowing under the snow and ice as easily as a man runs. At irregular intervals along their lengths, they sport short, stubby tentacles with eyes on them, as well as long limbs with digging claws. Also along their bodies, they have shorter scales, as well as spikes that they use to aid them in locomotion. They have no eyes on their heads, but they do have a toothed beak that can crush bones with ease.
Combat: Their primary weapon is their bite, which deals a phenomenal 2d10 points of damage. On a natural roll of 20, the bite severs a limb (and the snow scrat swallows it). It can also wrap part of its length around a prey, as it bites, squeezing the prey for 1d8 points of damage. The longer climbing spikes can dig in, and deal an additional 1d6 points of damage, while a climbing limb deals 1d6 points of damage. Their best weapon, though, is surprise; they'll lay in wait beneath the snow and ice, until a prey is too far from the nearest non snow or ice surface, to attack. When they attack, prey has a -2 penalty to surprise, the first time.
Habitat/Society: Snow scrats often hibernate in the warmer months, up near the tops of mountains where there is still ice, or in deep crevaces in the frozen lands. During the cooler months, they actively search for meals, regardless of the time of day. They apparently are hermaphroditic, with each snow scrat having both male and female reproductive organs. Anywhere from 10 to 100 eggs may be laid by a snow scrat, although only a few will reach adult-hood, living off of shrews, mice, and other small prey. Birds of prey evidently prefer the taste of 'bug-eyed burrowers', and so keep the population to within tolerable limits.
Ecology: Snow scrats simply cannot be tamed, as they learn rather poorly, and cannot seem to learn from experience. The adult's meat is far too tough to eat, unless tenderized for weeks at a time.
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