lol try this instead... http://bugguide.net/node/view/10943 or a jerusalem cricket.... not sure if we have camel spiders back here and i hope we dont...
ahh well...
jack
Thanks for the laughs, aparajita. Called and read to my mom and learned she's lost her mind in the heat. Decided to save money on AC and endure the heat with fans. Quit taking her meds and said it was her right. Well, the tough old bird is still around...so maybe she did something right in this 104° heat. We discussed the George Lucas FX critter you're dealing with, and she mentioned that it sounds like cave crickets. They usually stay beneath a house in moist, dark areas, but come up for moisture in extreme heat. I had to deal with some one year at my mother-in-law's basement recesses. One jumped right in my collar and I don't think I ever went in that basement again after that. My husband would pick up kraits in 'Nam, but he'd run from a millipede. Seems they had those in SIX inch versions with a nasty bite, but I don't think I've ever heard of a cricket doing any more than freaking someone out like these strange critters did me (and you). One good frog can cure your problem, according to a former game warden friend (smartasp!). LOL, I've been "jumped" by frogs several times in my life; seems some bullfrogs are very territorial :-). You take care ...... Rennie
Ok I'm calling it the wrong thing. I just googled camel spider and scared myself worse than what she is talking about. ha I'll ask Dad he should know.
bk
and the cookie goes to rennie's mother!!! yep THAT is the mutant.... http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/crickets/camel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/crickets/crickets.htm&h=174&w=250&sz=20&tbnid=gx97KdLA6k3DuM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcave%2Bcrickets%26um%3D1&start=3&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=3
oops, my bad, that link is a long one and i am so old i don't know how to hyperlink a link... haha (at least i know to call it a hyperlink... that should get me a few points lost though)
bk, you crack me up. when i googled your camel thingy it came up this pic of a soldier holding this ginormous thing that has given me nightmares. OMG.
thanks all... now that i have it identified... i'll try to remedy the things morphing into my house!
ok, apologies again... http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/crickets/camel.jpg
Savannah Haze -- wanna pick the ten words? And be the judge?
(It's really not that hard :-)
aparajita; Come on now I got the camel thingy right just cricket not spider haaaaa.
bk
ok, bk... half a cookie. :)
err my cricket was better....
kinda thought i would throw this in there...
The name "camel spider" is not entirely accurate. They are not exactly spiders; they are solifugids -- sort of a cross between a spider and a scorpion. They grow to 6 inches and have four pincer-like jaws used for crushing prey. The main risks presented by camel spider bites are shock or infection, but its venom can cause temporary paralysis in the victim.
Although they only use three of their four pairs of legs for running, camel spiders are one of the fastest running arthropods and can reach speeds up to 10 mph (5 metres in 1 second!). They rely on this speed to catch prey. They feed on other spiders, scorpions, lizards, mice and some small birds. Once they have caught their prey, they use their crushing jaws to kill it.
Camel spiders are nocturnal predators coming out primarily at night in search of food, they are attracted to light. When they do come out during the day, camel spiders avoid the heat by running from shadow to shadow, even if it belongs to a human. If a camel spider runs toward a person's shadow and he or she tries to run away, the spider will chase the shadow. So, it appears to be chasing people when it is actually not.
Chemicals such as bug sprays are not recommended as they most likely will do nothing but make the spider angry. Avoidance is the key!
lol as to thier speed we used to watch people as they began the camel spider stomp rapdly followed by the camels spider breakdance of death lol
err umm lol guess ya had to be there...
Good grief Jack it was bad enough just looking at the pictures of them but thats a whole horror movie in itself.
bk
Two of the words should be camel spider
redplasticroses, about The Artist:
I am crying. Your artist is every daughter's father. I haven't been so moved in years. You are fantastic. I felt like I was sitting outside his door eavesdropping while he painted.
Tricia
