(Vanity) Need help posting!

No kidding!

Here's some info on them:

Camel Spiders

Camel spiders are one of the fastest running arthropods. Although they have four pairs of legs, they run using only three pairs. The first pair of legs or pedipalpi are held up in front of them and used in a similar manner to the antennae of insects. They have very long, silky setae and are constantly moving in order to locate and pick-up prey. Despite their fearsome appearance and their strong bite, solifugids are unlikely to harm humans. In the past they were considered venomous and extremely dangerous but it is now thought that the only risk of injury resulting from them is caused by shock or infection following a bite. There is no evidence of venom in any part of their body.

Camel spiders are nocturnal predators of other arthropods including scorpions and are voracious feeders. Some species kill and feed on lizards and it is speculated that others kill mice and birds. They rely solely on their speed and stealth to catch their prey. In desert areas they are often attracted to lights at night in search of food and their appearance can cause alarm if they enter tents. It is rare to see them during the winter months and they are thought to hide or hibernate during cold periods.

Just Plain Weird Stories

Solpugid Eremobates sp.
Small Western U.S. species; much larger Near East species are called "camel spiders" but are not spiders.
(from a photo by Ken Davis)

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.

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/camelspider.html

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