Camel Spider

Order Solifugae — the camel spiders, also called wind scorpions, sun spiders, or solifuges — contains about 1,100 species across hot deserts worldwide. The order is one of three major arachnid groups of true desert specialists (alongside scorpions and tarantulas) but is neither true spider nor scorpion: solifuges lack venom, silk, and the segmented abdomen of scorpions. They are characterized by enormous chelicerae (jaws) — proportionally the largest in the arachnid class, up to 1/3 of body length — that are used to crush prey and tear off chunks of tissue. Camel spiders are the fastest-running arachnids: documented speeds reach 16 km/h, and they are highly active hunters that pursue insects, scorpions, lizards, and small rodents. They do not attack humans. Several urban-legend mythologies surround the species — particularly the viral 'Iraq war camel spider' photos that circulated in the 2000s — but the most extreme claims (size of dinner plates, jumping onto humans, anesthetizing skin to eat humans alive, eating camels and horses) are all exaggerated. The largest legitimate camel spider is about 15 cm leg span. Their most-cited 'aggressive' behavior — running at humans — is a thermoregulation accident: they run toward shadows because shadows are cooler, and a standing human casts a large shadow.