4/8/2004: Big-ass spiders

[Undertoad]

Razorfish sends along this beaut, forwarded from Iraq, a big-ass image of two big-ass spiders in Iraq. At first it looks like one, but it's most certainly TWO spiders attached to each other. Looks like one attacked the other. Looks like each one is about as big as that guy's palm.

When you think about it, that means if it settled on your face it would cover both your nose and mouth. Yeah, I'd use pliers to pick that up.

Oh, you're not going to have nightmares now, are you?

They are <a href="http://www.frgnews.com/spider.htm">camel spiders</a>. Apparently they can run really fast too, no kidding around here. They run using 6 legs, and hold their two front legs forward like antennae, <i>almost as if they are holding their arms out like zombies, coming to get you</i>.

OK I'm sorry.

"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."

I'm alarmed, and this is only a picture and I'm thousands of miles away.