# Strange Camel Spider from Oman



## moloch (Mar 1, 2013)

Greetings all,

Here are a few photos of an enormous camel spider that I saw last week in Oman.  This creature was the largest solifugid that I have ever seen.  I thought that it was a small tarantula when I saw it running on the road.  I often saw large crickets on the road so I suppose that the solifugid might have been hunting these.  It certainly was a formidable predator.  

Does anyone recognize the species?

Here are shots of the animal and then the habitat.  The location was the As Saleel Natural Park that is located about 30km south of Sur, Oman.























If you are interested in seeing other photos from Oman, have a look at the following link:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?244481-Photos-from-a-trip-to-Oman


Regards,
David

Reactions: Like 4


----------



## Tarantula_Hawk (Mar 1, 2013)

What can be said for sure is that it belongs to the family Rhagodidae. _Rhagodes _is the most diverse and widespread genus of this family, but there is only one possible species recorded in Yemen that could also occur in Oman. The only other genus (and species) recorded for Oman is _Rhagodeca impavida_ which also occurs and Yemen and probably throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Having said that, i do not think we could be too sure about this as there may be unrecorded or also undescribed species from the area. The safest thing we have is the family. 
Very nice specimen by the way. Just for curiosity, would you be able to guess approx. the size in mm?


----------



## moloch (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks for the interesting information, Tarantual_Hawk.


Regards,
David


----------



## Travis K (Mar 1, 2013)

David,

I saw this thing on FHF and was blown away.  Great pic.  I would have had to talk myself out of trying to ship it back home. LOL!


----------



## The Snark (Mar 1, 2013)

I've always been amazed by the evolution that had to have taken place with these animals. Not just the tremendous jaw and head development but the second pair of legs becoming what appears to be ancillary. Then this ones habitat. Just about the hottest place on earth, managing to eke out an existence on the rarefied prey that lives in that area.


----------



## jarmst4 (Mar 1, 2013)

Really cool pics


----------



## zonbonzovi (Mar 1, 2013)

Just to follow up on what Tarantula_Hawk offered up here's a great site on the Solifugae, with geographic searches:

http://www.solpugid.com/Rhagodidae.htm

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Mar 1, 2013)

Tarantula_Hawk said:


> Just for curiosity, would you be able to guess approx. the size in mm?


approx. the size in mm?


----------



## moloch (Mar 2, 2013)

Thanks, everyone, for the comments and extra info.  Snark, there were surprisingly a number of animals on the road at night in that harsh desert.  I saw many individuals of three species of geckos, grasshoppers, walking sticks, big crickets, spiders and two of these big solifugids.

I would estimate that the total length was ~2" or 5-6 cm.  This animal was in constant motion and quite fast.  It was a difficult one to focus on at night.  I would love to have a head-on shot but it moved far too much to attempt that.

Regards,
David


----------



## jarmst4 (Mar 2, 2013)

I see them around my house here
In west Texas during the summer and they are fast and mean. They don't seem scared of anything.


----------



## Scorpmatt (Mar 2, 2013)

Very nice find, def. is family Rhagodidae. 
I had one of the family Eremobatidae they are cool arachnids very voracious predators. bad thing they only live only one-two years.


----------

