Forums · Camel Spiders

Ghostdancer

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Apr 21 '04

Are troops in Iraq encountering these things; are these critters for real or is it just a joke? [Eek!]

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[ April 21, 2004, 04:24 PM: Message edited by: Ghostdancer ]
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hallowseve

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Apr 21 '04

Apparently they are real, & that is a picture of two of them. Eeeek.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/bugs/camelspider.asp[/URL]

Here's the same pic w/ an explanation, & good gawd, you can click to enlarge the pic! Ugggh! More fodder for nightmares! Thanx Ghostdancer.
There is alot more info about them below the
pic.
Excerpt->
They're technically not spiders but solifugae (although, like spiders, they belong to the class Arachnida).

[ April 21, 2004, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: hallowseve ]
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Ghostdancer

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Apr 21 '04

I got it from an email sent to me by a friend; funny your link would be from snopes, I also posted this over there.

Terrorism at work in another way maybe. [Eek!]
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cindy!spiritkeep

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Apr 22 '04

Oh my god, I just had to look, didn't I?? [Gasp]
How kind of you to share this with us Ghostdancer =P Hmmm I'll have to think of a way to repay you [Laughing]


Hallow....."click to enlarge" as IF they aren't large enough [Shock]

Please tell me there is no way those hideous things could ever be brought over here!!!
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Ghostdancer

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Apr 22 '04

I posted this on a couple of other forums and was referrenced that same link from Snopes on those as well, guess it's better known about these spiders then what I thought. [Roll Eyes]

Ah, but living proof that Iraq had possession of nuclear material; the insects were exposed and mutated! [Big Grin]
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cindy!spiritkeep

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Apr 22 '04

Yeah well please note that something cute and fuzzy like kitties were not mutated. Go figure! [Roll Eyes]

Hope our soldiers are using THEM for target practice [Wink]
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hallowseve

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Apr 22 '04

[Yep!] [Laughing] (Wipes tear from eye*)
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pmwillow

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Apr 22 '04

OMG!!!! The quickest way to turn me into a screaming two year old is to get me in the same room with a spider! I'm with hallowseve; "nightmare fodder" Eeewwww!!!!!

Cool post though! [Wink]
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Ghostdancer

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Apr 23 '04

Those things would be great for target practice with my new 20g shotgun. [Big Grin] [Cool]
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cat!spiritkeep

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Apr 23 '04

OMG OMG OMG - I'm with you PM, instant screaming 2 yr old. Nightmares - I had spider nightmares night after night for a long stretch of time when I was kid. Oh I hope they don't return. Ghostdancer I think I'll get one of those weapons just in case [No]

I wonder if you can train them - that way you can have a watch spider instead of a watch dog [Nutty]
that would keep the nosey neighbours on their side of the fence.
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pmwillow

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Apr 23 '04

Agrees with Cat! It would definantly keep me on my side of the fence. [Big Grin] Not that I'm nosey or anything, curious maybe...
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Trinity

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Apr 23 '04

AAAAGGHHH!!! OMG, those are the ugliest looking things I have ever seen!

I'm with you girls, I see a spider and all signs of mature and rational thinking go out the window.

My nephew tells me that when he sees a spider in his house....he doesn't want to kill it...so he blows on it, it curls up in a little ball and he puts it outside. Somehow...I don't think that would work with these! [Laughing]
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SavannahSilkie

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Apr 23 '04

Yuck! I'm laughing. Yall are too funny. The ones the soldiers are holding, kinda look fake to me. But who knows? I don't think I'd put my face near one of those and blow...may jump up and latch on to my face, numb it and suck my brains out through my nose. Omg, these critters can really make you think. You know how you can step on a pregnant spider sometimes and lil babies coming running out? [Shock] OMG... I aint squishin one of those! I can snoop through graveyards at night and explore haunted places and not even flinch. But I'll be danged if I'd stay near one of these things for a millisecond! Just one more reason to be thankful that I live in America, home of the brave and camel spider freeeeee. [Laughing]
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cindy!spiritkeep

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Apr 23 '04

"latch onto my face" Eeek Savannah, I did NOT need that picture in my mind [Thud]

Where is that evil ghostdancer at? I haven't thanked him proper yet for sharing this with us. [No]
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KellKell

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Apr 25 '04

EEP! [Eek!] Spiders are mine enimies. I know they have their place in the whole (food scheme) of things, but I don't want them near me - particularly anything *that* big. GAK!

I just want to say that yes, these are real. Our good friend Mel at GrimmAcres.com did a little investigating on them and found a video of them in action. This Camel Spider was eating a huge scorpion for breakfast, like a bear mud wrestling with a helpless kitten. The video was at: www.ecologicproductions.com/video_projects/TSCK/endangered/TSCK_spider.html[/URL] - but I'm afraid they've taken it down. They were getting too many hits to see it, I'm thinking.

As much as I'm hoping none come home from Iraq, I have to ask myself... wouldn't it be rather easy for one of these monsters to hide away in a Humvee or other piece or large equipment without notice? Yes!

Here are some other links I'm finding about it--
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/gen/page440.html[/URL]
http://www.frgnews.com/spider.htm[/URL]
http://home.kc.rr.com/bfellows/kcgeek/camel_spider.jpg[/URL] or http://www.discoverynet.com/~bjf/kcgeek/camel_spider.jpg[/URL] (And you thought that pic at Snopes wasn't big enough.)
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcamelspider.html[/URL]
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2003/iraq-030417-usmc04.htm[/URL]
http://enhg3.4t.com/b/b16/16_25.htm[/URL]
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/camelspider.html[/URL]
http://unpa.org/photogallery/op-iraqi-freedom/64%20Camel%20spider.JPG[/URL]
http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/insect/ins09.html[/URL]

I just cannot find that video anywhere! Seems that was the only one out there. If I find it, I'll post!

Kell
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Gyrfalcon

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Apr 25 '04

During WW2 some soldiers serving in the desert would catch a Camel Spider and tie it to a leg on their bunks. They would roam around under the bed eating bugs and scorpions and the like.
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cindy!spiritkeep

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Apr 25 '04

I'm still traumatized from the first pic! Can't imagine looking at any videos [Gasp] Thanks for confirming they are real Kell...Just what I wanted to hear =P

I believe those evil mutantized bugs could hijack the dang plane if they ever got on one! [Laughing]
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eyesofjade

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Jun 20 '04

They did a news special about these little guys in my town...they said that the soldiers were saying that they have to be that big so that they can run and jump on camels...hence their name...and they scream like a child when they run.
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Candi

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Jun 21 '04

Man I work with Reptiles and ALSO invertibrates but never have I seen one of those! I am going to have to research that now! They look like one of those things in the "Alien" movies!!! I don't mind spiders... I think they are fasinating as long as they don't jump out at me! I'm going to look those up and talk to my mentor. I'll let everyone know what I find out.
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RuFus ShinRa

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Aug 7 '04

The following site as a video clip of a Camel spider:

http://video.clipstream.com/content/c/camel_spiders/[/URL]

[ August 07, 2004, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: RuFus ShinRa ]
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