The Enormous Ten-Legged Spider That Sports The Largest Jaws Of Any Spider In The World And Literally Screams When It Eats

Unfortunately for arachnophobes, there is no shortage of scary-looking spiders on this planet. Luckily, very few spider species are harmful to humans, and the spiders that possess the most toxic forms of venom are rarely aggressive toward humans. When your mother said that spiders are more afraid of you than you are of it, she was not lying. However, in some corners of the world there exists spiders that appear as though they are from another planet. For example, the purported existence of a ten-legged spider has appeared in online articles for several years. Many of these articles have been called out for false reporting, and in some cases, pictures of common spiders were blown up to appear as gigantic beasts. These beasts have been commonly referred to as “camel spiders,” and now it looks as though their existence has been confirmed by researchers.

Camel spiders can be found in most arid desert regions around the world, although, surprisingly, Australia is not one of them. Although the common name given to these spiders may not conjure up anything intimidating, camel spiders are, perhaps, the most intimidating spiders that have ever been described by researchers. These spiders possess ten legs, and the have the largest jaws of any arachnid species. They also grow to enormous sizes. If that is not scary enough, these spiders apparently scream upon locating and eating their prey.

Camel spiders are classified as being a particular type of arachnid known as Solifugae. Their jaws contain several rows of sharp teeth that take up an entire third of their body size. These jaws contain teeth that can saw through hair and even bones, which is why they are a danger to even mammalian species. The extra set of legs that these spiders possess are also known as pedilaps. The tips of these pedilaps are sticky in order to allow them to climb vertical surfaces as well as to snatch mobile prey. Unlike most other Solifugae species, these spiders do not wait to ambush unsuspecting prey; instead, they skitter across the desert floor in search of live meals. If you believe that you have no fear of spiders, do not Google “camel spiders.” If you do, then you will regret it.

Do you believe that camel spiders are just a myth?