Tales of the Camel Spider
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Tales of the Camel Spider
Ocean_Islands | Friday, October 13, 2000 - 10:00 pm  Vykin has been telling an interesting story: Vykin: Well, I wander around the house, everyone's tip-toeing around me so I thought I'd come here and tell a story. The recent events in Yemen with the USSCole, reminded me of the story I'm about to tell. A close friend of mine works for an oil company, with international interests. They have many oil holdings in Yemen. He spent two years there not far from Aden in 90-92 and subsequently spent the past 8 years in the compound there 6 weeks in 4 weeks out. Over the years he has shared many stories of the Arabs and different Sheiks there. The following is one he shared that still gives me the creeps. One day Jim talked about the different animals, snakes, insects in Yemen. There are many scorpions, but they are not feared like a particular spider which they call the Camel Spider. I don't know what the technical name for it is, I know up till a few years ago it was not in any encyclopedia. The Camel Spider is called such because of its similar color to that of Camels. There are also Camels in Yemen. Now this spider is the only species known that will "hunt its prey". The spider will pick a target, attach itself and anesthesize the victim so, they don't feel anything, and slowly eat away the flesh to the bones. They often attach themselves to camels and you can't spot them because of the similar color. Here is an example he told me: In an area away from the oil company was an offsite cafeteria, where many people were. Unbeknownst to others, a camel spider was in one of the rafters. 50 people in room. Adjacent are the bedrooms with bunkbeds. In walks one of the workers. As he walks to a table he spots the spider, the spider spots him, he quickly goes further away and sits down and eats. Soon after he looks up at the rafters, the spider has made its way to where he is eating. Now is is frantic. He runs out and to his bed. Others look for the spider, can't find it. The guy eventually calms down and goes to bed. He falls asleep. The next morning, they go looking for him, he hasn't appeared to work. They find him with half his face gone, and bones from his cheeks, jawbones. etc. He has obviously died. Jim, my friend has seen these spiders as big in diameter as 6 inches across the body. These spiders as I said earlier if they are hungry will literally pick their prey and stalk it for up to a full day. In regards to the guy who died, it waited and stalked him from the cafeteria to his sleeping quarters, waited for the guy to fall asleep, crawled to his face, anaesticized him and proceeded to eat the meat off his face. In another separate situation, when I was involved in negotiations for a Land Use Plan in my province, one of the officials who also did international peace missions, Told me his own about the spider. He was on a peace mission to Africa, I think if I recall to Somalia. He said, tents were sent for the international peace keepers. Now some of the local antagonists, did not want to see peace in the area. One of there dissuasion? (sp) tactics was to plant a camel spider in the packed tents. If a spider was found, the whole batch of tents had to be burned. It happened with them. 50 Tents rendered useless. That was the only way to kill these things and ensure they were dead, cuz they cud have had others hiding in the tents. So, are we scared yet? " ============================= Yuck! The Camel Spider is actually a kind of stinger-less scorpion called the wind scorpion. It runs sideways so quickly that it looks like dried leaves being blown by the wind. This is the Sahara version of an "Urban Legend". The truth to the story is: There was a man whose face was half eaten off by a camel spider, he was a European who came to the Sahara along with Lawrence of Arabia. They all got drunk one night and passed out, that's the only way the camel spider was able to eat his face. Cool, huh? I saw some film of the camel spider. It's hideous and has a big body that looks like a caramel colored bumble bee. Good night. Don't forget to shake our your sheets, because sometimes spiders hide in between the sheets, or under your pillow. And they make no sound as they scamper along on their eight legs. |
Kpritch | Friday, October 13, 2000 - 10:07 pm  Well, after reading your addition to Vykin's story, I'm not sleepy anymore. Ocean, I'll mention now that I HATE SPIDERS! I was bitten by a nasty one a few years ago and ended up in the ER with a severe reaction. .....>going to go check the house for spiders now. lol |
Noslonna | Saturday, October 14, 2000 - 03:38 am  Charlottes are great. I had one build a fantasic web in front of my storage room door. I told her she was dumb because I really needed to open the door and get the ornaments, but she wouldn't listen. I did apologize when I could wait no longer and opened the door on the 24th. |
Vasix | Saturday, October 14, 2000 - 08:40 am  LOL! Vykin can certainly spin a tale! I read his spider story right before going to bed and I was creeped out! Noslonna, spiders love doorways because scientists think they are very sensitive to drafts and position their webs where air can pass over them. It seems that insects also follow these "currents" so the spiders are well postioned for lunnch! I walk around good spiderwebs in the garden, I'll try to get a good digipix of one and post it. |
Princessjill | Saturday, October 14, 2000 - 10:49 pm  wow now i really feel guilty...when my kids see a spider on the ceiling ...they say "mom there's a spider..KILL IT!!" i tell them.."YOU kill that yucky thing or he will find his buddy on the other side of room and leave us alone"..hence the spder will die on his own before i will touch that yucky thing...i about broke my neck one night tryin to kill a spider, {i fell off the couch} ...so they are on their own...i hate those nasty 8 legged critters....ewwwww |
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