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The Truth
We haven't tracked down exactly who
took this picture or when and where, but the chances are good that
it's authentic.
Camel spiders are real, are large, and are in the Middle East
including Iraq.
They don't get as big as a man's leg, however, as appears in this
picture.
The photo, if authentic, was taken at close range as is indicated by the hand and
cuff of the soldier that are visible in the upper right.
Also, it appears to be a picture of two spiders.
Some pictures of camel spiders first came from soldiers headed for
Iraq but who encountered them in Kuwait.
There are some urban legends about camel spiders that claim they
scream when they run, that they can run as fast as 25
miles-per-hour, and that they climb onto the undersides of camels
and eat their stomachs.
According to the experts we've consulted, they do not make any
noise, they do run very fast but not 25 miles-per-hour, they are
primarily nocturnal, they do not eat camel stomachs, and their bite
can sting or produce numbness, but is not lethal.
Last updated 4/5/04 |
