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Last post 20 years ago by ksinger. 20 replies replies.
Camel Spider
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RDC Offline
#1 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 9:15 AM EST
Joined: 01-21-2000
Posts: 5,874
Take a look at this ugly creature....It's called a camel spider. They grab hold of the camel's leg, then bites into the leg releaseing a mild venom....mild to a 800 lb camel that is....causing the leg to numb as it then tries to devour the camel's flesh. For the last few years, I've read things about the famed camel spider or wind scorpion (Eremobates gladiolus) in the Middle East. From pictures I've seen, bigger than some small pets and very aggressive. Here's what I've heard that I can't verify conclusively:

It can run upwards of 25 mph (by soldiers that have tracked the speed with humvees since it runs in their shadows).

It's called a camel spider because it climbs onto the bellies of camels and eats the stomach--because the spider secretes anesthetics to numb the flesh, the camels don't notice until their intestines fall out.

It makes a screaming/squealing noise when it runs, similar to a child screaming.
214129.jpg
AJ_CHICAGO Offline
#2 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 9:46 AM EST
Joined: 10-27-2003
Posts: 189
Myth: In the deserts of the Near East, there are "camel spiders" which anaesthetize sleeping humans and eat large chunks of their flesh.

Fact: Most North Americans probably have not heard this legend (widespread in Arab countries) but it was disseminated to some degree by Gulf War veterans and also has been repeated by the uninformed narrator of at least one TV documentary.

"Camel spider" is a common name for solpugids, large non-spider arachnids found in desert regions. Solpugids have no venom, not even an anaesthetic, and are strictly predatory on smaller creatures.

Nice Picture! Makes them look much larger than they really are. All the sources I could find said they get 2 to 5 inches and eat lizards, scorpions, and other small prey. Five inches is nothing to scoff at! Also said they are nocturnal, agressive and the fastest arachnids.
boofa75 Offline
#3 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 9:47 AM EST
Joined: 12-08-2002
Posts: 452
Wow!! Never seen anything like that. Check out this vid.

http://www.ecologicproductions.com/video_projects/TSCK/endangered/TSCK_spider.html
drnos Offline
#4 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 10:51 AM EST
Joined: 10-29-2003
Posts: 2,787
Wow! Count the legs. Gotta be 2 of them there.
rjdc Offline
#5 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 11:24 AM EST
Joined: 05-26-2002
Posts: 682
WTF! I didn't think they allowed drugs in the middle east.
Robby Offline
#6 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 11:36 AM EST
Joined: 10-30-2002
Posts: 5,067
"Five inches is nothing to scoff at!" That's my motto!
bloody spaniard Offline
#7 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 12:41 PM EST
Joined: 03-14-2003
Posts: 43,802
^ ;-)
cockyhoskins Offline
#8 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 12:44 PM EST
Joined: 11-13-2003
Posts: 200
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4509/topstories/story02.htm
Buddha Daddy Offline
#9 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 12:48 PM EST
Joined: 01-25-2003
Posts: 2,999
Thems sum nasty crotch crickets!
Sonny_LSU Offline
#10 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 1:00 PM EST
Joined: 11-21-2002
Posts: 1,835
holy crap! i absolutely HATE spiders........AHHHHHH!!!!
nfldraftman Offline
#11 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 1:11 PM EST
Joined: 01-28-2004
Posts: 642
Damn things look like the parasite in Aliens....ugh!
AZ-Ron Offline
#12 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 1:22 PM EST
Joined: 05-10-2003
Posts: 469
Are they edible?
The contestants on Fear Factor would $hit if they seen them on their plates!
AZ-Ron
E-Chick Offline
#13 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 1:47 PM EST
Joined: 06-15-2002
Posts: 4,877
Thanks for reiterating the fact that my aracniphobia is alive and well....sheesh!

I'm suddering for all the wrong reasons.......Marla
cooksta2 Offline
#14 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 4:24 PM EST
Joined: 10-14-2002
Posts: 509
While I was in the gulf I slept in a sleeping bag one night and left my arm hanging out and suddenly I woke up a felt a sharp pain about three inches above my elbow but since it was the first solid sleep I had in weeks I fell back asleep. In the morning I woke up from the pain in my arm and discovered my arm was so swollen I could barley get my BDU top off. I went to the doc's field office and he said I had been bitten by a camel spider. It took almost six months for my arm to heal and to this day a dark circle about two inches in diameter is still obvious. I don't know for sure if it was a camel spider but that's what the doc said and it was an awful experience. However, it did reduce my sandbag filling output. I guess there is some good in everything
castlewa Offline
#15 Posted: Wed, Apr 7 2004, 6:35 PM EST
Joined: 08-28-2002
Posts: 1,047
That is one scary looking creature. I hate spiders, but even more scorpions. This looks like both rolled into one nightmare of a thing.
AZ-Ron Offline
#16 Posted: Thu, Apr 8 2004, 5:42 AM EST
Joined: 05-10-2003
Posts: 469
E shuddering!!!
Oh just the mental image makes me shuddre 2... for all the right reasons!
AZ-Ron
penzt8 Offline
#17 Posted: Thu, Apr 8 2004, 6:49 AM EST
Joined: 06-05-2000
Posts: 1,771
mmmmmmmm tastes like chicken
Cavallo Offline
#18 Posted: Thu, Apr 8 2004, 9:24 AM EST
Joined: 01-05-2004
Posts: 2,796
i think she's shuddering at the fact that "five inches" really CAN look like a whole lot more -- and not from the view of the guy holding it! :D
redsquid Offline
#19 Posted: Thu, Apr 8 2004, 10:50 AM EST
Joined: 12-15-2002
Posts: 1,286
Definitely not a spider (segmented abdomen). It looks like a very large Vinagaroon (like a scorpion, but without the stinging telson). Whatever the taxonomy, that's some creepy critters you've got there.
Kazama Offline
#20 Posted: Thu, Apr 8 2004, 11:11 AM EST
Joined: 10-21-2003
Posts: 1,612
OH MY EFFIN' GOD!!!!!!
ksinger Offline
#21 Posted: Fri, Apr 9 2004, 5:36 AM EST
Joined: 03-14-2002
Posts: 94
These things are definitely nasty. The worst part about them is how fast they move, and they can jump considerable distances (2-3 feet easy). I only encountered one while in Saudi Arabia, but that one was enough to teach me not to get too close to them. I was more wary of them than the scorpions!
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