About the headcrabs and zombies

[Combine Hybrid]

We all know that headcrabs latch on human head and turn them into a zombie in order to feed themselves or attack, whatever. But Lammar is a different story, how does Kleiner feed Lammar if she isn't attached to human's head and turn into a zombie?

What about the other zombies? For example, the leapers (sp?) doesn't seem to eat since the host's body is left with nothing but bones, and unlike the normal zombie, they don't seem to have a stomach mouth to feed.

 

[NJspeed]

Theres 3 types of headcrabs...

Regular headcrabs take over a human host and become the slow zombies that say creepy things and make those screaming agonizing sounds.

The faster headcrabs that look more like spiders but dont poison, they become the super fast zombies that scramble up the pipes and jump all over the place and SCREAM in your face.

The poison headcrabs become those guys that look like they are host for 4-5 other poison headcrabs, and they launch them at you.

Lamarr doesn't attack because Kleiner clearly says "Don't worry Gordon, her teeth were removed so the worst she can do is coddle with your head" or something almost like that.

 

[don_johnson]

kliner feeds lamaar watermelons. if you look on the bulliten board in kliners lab there is a little post it note that says get more watermelons for lamaar. as for the learpers, beats me

 

[Combine Hybrid]

kliner feeds lamaar watermelons. if you look on the bulliten board in kliners lab there is a little post it note that says get more watermelons for lamaar.

Yes, I know that. But how does he feed Lammar if the headcrabs can only feed themselves when they turn the host into a zombie?

 

[Combine Hybrid]

Theres 3 types of headcrabs...

Regular headcrabs take over a human host and become the slow zombies that say creepy things and make those screaming agonizing sounds.

The faster headcrabs that look more like spiders but dont poison, they become the super fast zombies that scramble up the pipes and jump all over the place and SCREAM in your face.

The poison headcrabs become those guys that look like they are host for 4-5 other poison headcrabs, and they launch them at you.

Lamarr doesn't attack because Kleiner clearly says "Don't worry Gordon, her teeth were removed so the worst she can do is coddle with your head" or something almost like that.

I'm not asking what kinds of headcrabs are there in HL2.

 

[NJspeed]

We all know that headcrabs latch on human head and turn them into a zombie in order to feed themselves

What about the other zombies? For example, the leapers (sp?) doesn't seem to eat since the host's body is left with nothing but bones, and unlike the normal zombie, they don't seem to have a stomach mouth to feed.

Ok well my bad, but how do you "all" know that headcrabs cant eat or feed themselves unless they are on a human? Obviously they can, since you see headcrabs all over the game, and some in spots where theres no food.... I never saw a headcrab starve to death, so I think its safe to assume they can eat if they aren't attached.

And once they are attached.. maybe they do eat and maybe they don't.. when you think about it, theres really no way to know, one way or the other. They might feed off the humans remains, or maybe they need the human host to eat, like you said.

Theres just no way of knowing. Personally I think they feed off the human host, keeping them alive and under their control. Since they can always leave (like when you kill a host and the headcrab jump off), they can always get food that way too. Maybe if the host doesn't feed enough, they eventually die from the crab feeding on it. It makes sense that they could possible feed either way, attached or not. Again, theres no way of knowing, I don't think Valve got deep into headcrab biology.

 

[Is This Tea]

And once they are attached.. maybe they do eat and maybe they don't.. when you think about it, theres really no way to know, one way or the other. They might feed off the humans remains, or maybe they need the human host to eat, like you said.

They are shown eating in half life 1.

I don't think Valve got deep into headcrab biology.

I’m sure they did. That’s what a production team does. Marc himself said that every detail was thought out and important.

 

[NJspeed]

Ok so someone answer the top question then, if its out there. I already said it could be either way or both. If your telling me there is a definitive answer, lets hear it.

BTW you totally misquoted me without putting in everything I was saying.

Firstly I was referring to the headcrab themselves, not the zombie. Yes zombies feed, that's established. I played HL1. But is the eating in order to feed the human host body, or are they eating to give energy to the headcrab? Thats the question.

I think its the human host whose feeding because a headcrab could not be attached and feed at the same time. So its a human mouth chewing and swallowing. I'm sure headcrabs get a sustenance through the host, so by feeding the host, they are keeping themselves alive. Or perhaps they are just keeping the host body alive by letting it get food. And the other question was whether or not they can feed WITHOUT a human host, which I think they can. Their not dying of starvation it seems, as you find headcrabs in a number of areas that haven't been accessed for some time, and their somehow ALIVE.

My bottom line view is that HEADCRABS can feed with or without a host. Once they are attached, they get sustenance through the host body. I feel this way because they obviously attach for a reason, but you don't see them dying of starvation when they are not attached.

Then again, this is just my opinion. Perhaps they can't feed at all without a host, and they have a limited lifespan. Maybe HEADCRABS can die of starvation and the only way to live is by getting a host. But like the first post said, if this was the case, how would the leapers with no stomachs live? Bottom line.. if Valve thought it all out, and has it somewhere, lets hear it. Otherwise all anyone is doing is speculating.

Speculate all you want, but don't knock my speculation.

 

[kirovman]

By the heavy mutation of the human body due to Zombification, I was under the impression the headcrab would have fused to the host body, never to be removed. However in HL2 they added the feature where the headcrab could attack you if you killed it's host.

 

[Marlfox]

Anyone remember seeing lamar jump on the bird after you get teleported? It's clear that they're predatorial instincts don't really limit them to ONLY human heads...they probably eat rodents and such...or birds.

 

[ríomhaire]

Some chameleons can live of just air and no food. Maybe leapers do too.

 

[Brian Damage]

By the heavy mutation of the human body due to Zombification, I was under the impression the headcrab would have fused to the host body, never to be removed. However in HL2 they added the feature where the headcrab could attack you if you killed it's host.

Looking at HL, HL2, and OP4, It seems that late stage pre-gonome zombies and gonomes have the crab fused on, but early stage zombies like we see in HL2 have the crab able to leap off.

 

[MysticalMrBob]

I want to see a headcrab latched onto a Vortigaunt, since that must be the only thing it could latch onto. Vortigaunt zombie = roxxor xtreme?

 

[Rocketman9mm]

The headcrabs can probably survive on a wide variety of food sources. It is an alien after all, we don't know if it has a different metabolizing system and has vastly different nutritional requirements. Their native world is Xen, so what did they eat when they were there? what kind of creatures did they latch on to over there? we never saw any of this in HL1

 

[Drizzt]

you know, rocketman9mm has a damn good point about them being on there native planet. I think it is safe to assume that they would rather latch on to a humans head, but can survive without a host body.

 

[bliink]

I'd say the Fast headcrab consumes the host slowly, thats why its mostly just muscle and bone.

 

[Is This Tea]

BTW you totally misquoted me without putting in everything I was saying.
Speculate all you want, but don't knock my speculation.

I only quoted that one sentence because that was the gist of what I understood you to be saying. I’m sorry if I read you wrong. Nobody was knocking you’re post. I thought you were saying that we don’t know if zombies eat or not and I was correcting you that we see it in hl1. As for headcrabs eating.. Who knows… the do grow from baby headcrabs… so I would assume they need energy from something.

 

[kirovman]

I want to see a headcrab latched onto a Vortigaunt, since that must be the only thing it could latch onto. Vortigaunt zombie = roxxor xtreme?

But in HL1 we never saw the headcrabs attacking Vortiguants? They seemed to socialy coexist ok. Bullsquids attacked them however.
Only creatures In remember fighting each other.
Never had a Vortigaunt face a headcrab in HL2. Maybe they cooked one for dinner in Eli's lab though.

 

[nyarlotep]

One general theory is that headcrabs were genetically engineered or even created by the Combine as a form of biological weapon. If you look carefully, you can see that the baby headcrabs in Half-Life feature testicles similar to the one Gonarch has.

 

[AzzMan]

I think the headcrabs would normally attach to a vortigaunt or some other humanoid creature on xen, but humans are just an easier prey, I'd think because the vorts would have better way of detection or defending themselves against an attack. Kind of how predators imported from another country can make easy prey of the native aniamls, because they have no protection against them (brown tree snakes in Guam)

 

[MysticalMrBob]

They definetly had to attach to some kind of humanoid creature on Xen. It doesn't make sense that they can do that on Earth but not on Xen.

 

[AzzMan]

Also the idea that they were engineered by the Combine to latch onto humans is flawed, because its obvious they were around long before the Combine had contact with Earth

 

[NJspeed]

Ok heres something nobody has mentioned.. the big gaping jaws with huge teeth that emerge on the hosts midsection.. on the regular zombies...

How the hell can a headcrab make that happen...? I understand if something could latch on and keep you alive and use your body, it's a parasite.. but how the hell can they make a huge gaping jaw appear in the middle of your body, with huge teeth? Also the hands obviously change and get longer and more claw-like. Not only that, it appears the headcrabs instill the human host with superhuman strength, as they can kill you in a swipe or two.

Perhaps that means that the headcrabs do more than latch onto a humans head and control the body.. They must take it over so completely that they become one with the human. They might have tentacles or something that grow into the human host and allow it to change the hosts biology...

I also think there must be some human conciousness left just because of all the moaning and stuff they do. It sounds like they are always saying "Whyyyyyyyyy" and "Myyyyy lifffee" or something like that. Do you guys think the human host is competely dead or somehow kept alive by the headcrab? Notice that when you shoot a zombie in the body, it will die and the headcrab jumps off. Thats why father Gregory says "Aim for the head"

Anyway theres so many questions like this, which is why I've been saying Valve probably didn't put a lot of thought into their biology. If Valve really put a lot of thought into it, I'd like to hear something official... I more think they said "Ok we have 3 types of headcrabs that take over humans bodies and turn them into zombies" and thats it.. lol..

Do you think that they need a human host in order to reproduce or something? It would appear thats the scenario with the poison crabs, as their hosts are lumbering around with a crab on the head, and then 3 or 4 on the body.. So maybe this particular headcrab species takes over a humans body and lays eggs inside it which eventually get born?

 

[Is This Tea]

Ok heres something nobody has mentioned.. the big gaping jaws with huge teeth that emerge on the hosts midsection.. on the regular zombies...

How the hell can a headcrab make that happen...?

Possibly they release some microscopic agents into the host’s blood stream that are busy rewriting the host’s genetic code… like viruses do???

 

[AzzMan]

Here on earth, there is a parasite that takes over snails, changes them physically, and basically takes control of their nervous system. Interesting buggers if you ask me. Ill look for some info on it and post it later.....

EDIT: Found it already http://people.smu.edu/eheise/Leucochloridium_paradoxum.htm

 

[Is This Tea]

Here on earth, there is a parasite that takes over snails, changes them physically, and basically takes control of their nervous system. Interesting buggers if you ask me. Ill look for some info on it and post it later.....

EDIT: Found it already http://people.smu.edu/eheise/Leucochloridium_paradoxum.htm

You jogged my memory with that post. There is a parasite with both a macroscopic and a microscopic life stage. The microscopic life stage reprograms a crab’s reproductive system to create more of the macroscopic life stage (as opposed to crab sperm). The macroscopic stage swims around the ocean until it finds a male host and then injects its DNA reprogramming proteins into the crab… SCIENCE IS POWER! :thumbs:

 

[ríomhaire]

Vort crab on this thread

Edit: there is also a parasite that efects some type of crab's brain and makes it go up shore (where these crabs don't go). The crabs then get eaten by a bird and the parasite matures in the birds stomach. The eggs are in the bird's poo, some insect eats this witch is eaten by the crab.

 

[KarkuRi]

My thoughts about headcrabs

I think that headcrabs keep the human alive and vice versa. And the "gaping jaws" are his chest bones bursted out of the body due to the mutation. Afterall, you can see the zombies lungs inside.

Fast zombies, they cant consume so slowly, because it would take months. Unless it makes the corpse to decay faster.

About the screaming of zombies ( "Whyyyy etc.) I think this is due to pain, that makes the corpse wake or react. The mutation, is probably the doings of the headrabs own blood or something it sprays in to the corpes to keep them both better alive much like a spider inject the fly or something to fluid the insides.

:cheers:

 

[ríomhaire]

Zombie:

1. A snake god of voodoo cults in West Africa, Haiti, and the southern United States.
2.
1. A supernatural power or spell that according to voodoo belief can enter into and reanimate a corpse.
2. A corpse revived in this way.
3. One who looks or behaves like an automaton.
4. A tall mixed drink made of various rums, liqueur, and fruit juice.


[Caribbean French, and English Creole from Kimbundu -zumbi, ghost, departed spirit.]



zombie

A company that remains in business even though it is technically bankrupt and almost surely headed for the graveyard.





zombie

n 1: a dead body that has been brought back to life by a supernatural force [syn: zombi, the living dead] 2: (voodooism) a spirit or supernatural force that reanimates a dead body [syn: zombi, zombi spirit, zombie spirit] 3: a god of voodoo cults of African origin worshipped especially in West Indies [syn: zombi, snake god] 4: someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way; "only an automaton wouldn't have noticed" [syn: automaton, zombi] 5: several kinds of rum with fruit juice and usually apricot liqueur [syn: zombi]



zombie



1. <operating system> zombie process.

2. <chat> A ghost.




zombie

n. [Unix] A process that has died but has not yet
relinquished its process table slot (because the parent process
hasn't executed a `wait(2)' for it yet). These can be seen in
`ps(1)' listings occasionally. Compare orphan.

 

[AzzMan]

Oh yea the snail parasite I talked about before also takes over the nervous system, even though it doesn't seem to mention it on that site. Kind of like the crab one, it makes the snail go someplace where it's easily spotted, such as the top of a plant, where it is eaten by a bird and then dispersed and so on.

 

[Sid Burn]

Hmm... maybe Lemarr became loyal to him.

 

[Is This Tea]

Oh yea the snail parasite I talked about before also takes over the nervous system, even though it doesn't seem to mention it on that site. Kind of like the crab one, it makes the snail go someplace where it's easily spotted, such as the top of a plant, where it is eaten by a bird and then dispersed and so on.

That's awesome!