YouTube: "Camel Spider eating a Lizard in Afghanistan." Yes, boys & girls, a LIZARD.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8DXzjvnzPk

:scared:

[JTG of the PRB]

1. Kill it!! Kill it with FIRE!!!

:scared:

[Captain Hilts]

2. These things scare the shit out of me. Is THIS what was in the cockpit of that Dutch fighter jet???

The pilot wrecked the jet because of the spider.

Can't says I blame him, especially if it was one of those.

[MilesColtrane]

3. “Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on YEEAAARRGHHH GOD JESUS NOOOOO!!!!"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. DUzy!

:rofl:

:toast:

[Rhythm]

4. A two-tour combat engineer i know is now arachnophobic because of those

They'd find the damned things hiding in their equipment on a regular basis.

:scared:

[Taverner]

5. Funny thing is Camel Spiders aren't true spiders - they're closer to Scorpions

Having said that - I am glad they don't have cousins in the US

[mike_c]

13. LOL-- they do...

...they're just smaller. Sigh. I want big ones....

[Taverner]

14. Oh Shiese! What are they?

Intrepid hunters and gain speed and intelligence instead of a sting or claws.

[mike_c]

15. here's one along the same size as most north american solifugids...

...shown on someone's hand for scale. I've got several of these in my collection. Meh.

[Taverner]

16. Do they work in teams?

Or are they 'lone wolf' hunters?

[mike_c]

17. nah, totally solitary....

Get two together, and one will eat the other.

[Moondog]

6. The only thing worse than camel spiders

are the damned sand vipers. I spent some time in the sand box during the first Gulf War, and I am not fond of either of these beasties.

[Old Troop]

7. I hate those things

[nytemare]

8. One of my buddies got bitten by one while she was sleeping in Iraq.

She woke up to find it chewing on her foot. She had a big hole in her foot. I slept with boots on after that. Ick.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. When I lived in Miami in the late 70's through the 80's, there were plenty of "Banana Spiders"

Or "Golden Silk Orb Weaver"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_silk_orb-weaver



I used to catch and feed this one particular female a lizard every other day. While not as large as that Camel Spider (and the lizards are common lizards here in South Fla.) it was cool to watch it run down its web and grab that lizard.

Come back 3 hours later and the only thing left was a shrunken shell, as the spider had sucked out all the lizardy goodness from inside.

For some reason, I just don't see them too often anymore down here.

[JonLP24]

10. Strangely enough

I didn't see a camel spider in Southwest Asia.

[Mojambo]

11. Scew the Taliban, we need to go Starship Troopers and shit on those spiders! n/t

[mike_c]

12. I WANT one!

Solifugids are COOL. We have small ones here, of course, but dammit! I need specimens like the one in the vid!

Seriously, anyone in the middle east reading DU, who wants to make a NorCal entomologist very happy, please PM me and I'll tell you how to send me camel spiders!