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A soldier in Baghdad was bitten by a "camel spider,"
which was hiding in his sleeping bag. The origin of the photo of
the two-foot spiders is not yet known, however the idea that those
serving our country have to deal with these creepy critters is disheartening.
Camel spiders, also referred to as wind spiders, wind scorpions
and sun scorpions, usually live in desert areas such as the Middle
East.
Here are some stomach-churning characteristics of the Camel spiders:
- Can grow to be the size of a large dinner plate and can reach
speeds of 25 miles per hour while running across the desert sand.
- Makes unnerving shrill noises as they run and can leap several
feet in the air.
- Eat the stomachs out of camels from the outside in or the inside
out.
- Contain a venom with a powerful anesthetic that allows victims
to be gnawed away without feeling anything.
According to spider experts, all of these claims were false. Spider
experts said these spiders could run maybe 10 miles per hour, make
no noise when they run and capture their prey without any type of
venom or anesthetic. Instead, they rely on their quickness and non-venomous
biting abilities of their strong jaws to feed on small prey.
Experts also claimed the depiction in the photograph appeared to
be way too large for a camel spider. It was suspected that the unusually
large size was an illusion created by the close-up shot of the camera
or manipulation to the photograph.
Snopes.com
April 8, 2004
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