Giant Camel Spiders in Iraq

The photo below reportedly comes from a soldier, stationed in Baghdad, who was bitten by a camel spider that was hiding in his sleeping bag. Fortunately, these critters aren't venomous, but they're BIG and FAST (they can run around 10MPH).

The photo shows two spiders attached together, and the camera angle makes them look a tad larger than they really are (they're about the size of an adult's hand). They also tend to seek out shade during the daytime, so it's not terribly unusual to see them charging across the desert at you -- only to come to a screeching halt when they reach your shadow.