Man i really hate to been bitten by one of them beasts
Also known as Camel spider, Wind scorpions, Solifugid.
Galeodes Arabs
Native to: Sinai desert.
This rarely imported species occasionally arrives in Egyptian shipments.
This weird looking arachnid is not in fact a scorpion or spider at all but belongs to its own order- Solifugid. This species can attain a leg span of 5” and a body of 2”. Wind spiders are fast moving aggressive hunters, capable of over powering much larger prey than itself. Its front pair of legs are modified as feelers to detect and pull its prey into its large over sized jaws. Its three pairs of legs are capable of speed making this creature a fast moving killing machine.
The wind spider is adapted to life in the desert and can withstand the harsh environment well. As its name suggests it can sometimes be seen tumbling around in sand storms. To escape the worst of the environment they sometimes make burrows under bushes, buildings etc. The female will also make a burrow to lay her eggs.
This can be a challenging captive, but the examples we have imported recently have arrived in good condition. The wind spider is a seasonal animal so life expectancy is not long, and growth is rapid due to their huge appetite. They are best kept in an aquarium with sand and potting compost mix, they don’t require humidity but some will drink form shallow water dishes or damp cotton wool. Temperatures should be in the 80°F with a 10°F night drop. Temperature variations should be provided, with hot and cooler spots. The opportunity to burrow must be provided, especially when dealing with wild collected females.
Take a look at the size of this creature’s jaws and you will appreciate the immense power, as previously mentioned overpowering a larger creature is not a problem. In the wild the diet would consist of small lizards & invertebrates, in captivity suitably sized commercial raised live foods are satisfactory.
Not much is known about the breeding cycle of this species, although the female is known to bury her eggs in a burrow. The hatching time is not known, so if you are lucky enough to have a female lay a clutch of eggs make sure you write notes of what happens, even if it is nothing at all.
Overall this is an amazing creature, not for the novice but if you have experience with inverts why not give it a go? The wind spider is not venomous in any way but those jaws can give a very painful bite, I have not been bitten myself, but I bet if it bites it won’t let go!
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Solifugid Ref:
These bizarre-looking arachnids are the most fascinating of all arachnids. They are the world's fastest arachnid capable of speeds when running near 10 mph! In recent years, more and more arachnid keepers are taking the plunge and are acquiring these amazing creatures. This article will help you learn the basics about keeping them successfully and educate you all about them. This is Solifugid 101. Let's begin!
Common names used: Solifugid (most accepted) or Solifugid, Camel Spiders, Wind Scorpions, False Spiders, Sun Scorpions, Sun Spiders, Falanga (used by Central Asians), Roman Spiders, Romas, Hunting Spiders, Jerrymuglums, Jerrymanders, Haarskeerders, Vetvreters and Jagspinnekoppe.
Natural History: Solifugid are solitary predators feeding on insects, spiders, scorpions, small reptiles, other solifugids and large solifugids can kill and eat small birds! They are attracted to bright lights and often enter Arab tents at night in North Africa and the Middle East. There are diurnal species that tend to be brightly colored and nocturnal species which tend to be duller, but larger.
Commercial History: Solifugid are still a rarity in personal collections. Only since the late 1990's have they been offered more on U.S. dealer lists usually with importers acquiring them from Egypt and Tanzania. Most often, there source is either from the American Southwest, Tanzania or Egypt. Hobbyists have not mastered their husbandry requirements and therefore, most Solifugid die within six weeks in captivity. This is also due in part to the short longevity of these arachnids (about one year). If you buy a large adult, don't expect them to live long. Most hobbyist buy them as a challenge to see if they can figure out how to keep and breed them successfully.
Species in the trade/ hobby: Galeodes Arabs (UAE, Egypt), Galeodes granti (Egypt), Ammotrechella stimpsoni "Carribean Solifugid", Solpuga sericea and S. lineata, Eremobates durangonus "Colorado Solifugid", Eremobates pallidus "Texas Yellow Solifugid", Eremobates pallipes "Common Western Pale Solifugid" , Solpuga sp. "Tanz. giant Solifugid", Zeria lawrenci (a 2" golden colored and somewhat "fuzzy"species from Nambia) and Rhagodes phalangium "Egyptian black Solifugid" (extremely rare in our trade/hobby!). Rhagodessa melanocephala has been imported into England before (another rarity!).
Species in Israel: Paragaleodes scalaris and P. judaicus (which are large), and the smaller species that are black like Rhagodes phalangium and R. melanus.
Range: Central Spain, Northern, East and Southern Africa, the Middle East, SW Asia, SE Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), Uruguay, Coastal areas of South America from Guyana around and down to Chile and the American Southwest.
Habitat: Desert and some scrub, savanna habitats of low humidity (20%-40%) and high temperatures (85F-120F) on the habitat ground floor, but their burrows have more humidity the deeper the burrow.
Anatomy: They have a three-segmented cephalothrax and an abdomen. They have a large and strong head to support the huge chelicerae ("jaws"). They have a segemented abdomen (11 segments). They have four pairs of legs, but use only three pairs for running. The other pair (front or first pair), the pedipalps, are used much like antenna. They bear chemo- and mechano-receptors and are used to locate prey. The four pair have white structures on them called "racket organs" which their purposes has never been revealed yet. They lack venom glands, but the large chelicerae can inflict a very painful bite that can cause a bacteria infection.
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http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/scorpions/sol1.jpg
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http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/scorpions/sol2.jpg
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http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/scorpions/sol4.jpg
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http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/scorpions/sol3.jpg
encyclopedia information below:
Solifugid Class arachnida, order Solpugida, family Daesiidae, genus Syndaesia. Common names include windscorpion, sunspider and camel spider. The name SOLIFUGID, from the latin, means 'flee from the sun'. This is because they are mainly nocturnal. They are desert creatures,
common in Africa, the Middle East and North America. They resemble a scorpion, but without the sting or claws, this is because they don't need them. Solifugids have, for their size, the largest jaws in the animal kingdom. They can bite people, and camels, but do not carry poison. There are many different species, all carnivorous, the largest can be five inches across and they can run very fast. In fact all they seem to do is run and eat. The only thing they seem to run away from is the sun, in the wild they can seem quite fearless and even agressive. They eat anything they can catch, including small vertebrates and other solifugids. Their ultra fast lifestyle seems to be a limiting factor, they only live for about a year. They seem to be causing some problems for the allied British and American troops currently encamped in the Iraqi desert, some soldiers are more worried about solifugids crawling into their boots than they are about Saddam Hussein and his cronies. preview not available. Click the link for more information.