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 Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 12:32 pm
"Camel spiders come from the arachnid order Solifugae, which contains around 900 species of spider. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun. The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea and Mycetophorae. Their common names include wind scorpion, sun spider and camel spider.
Solifugae are not true spiders (which are from a different order, Araneae). Like scorpions and harvestmen, they belong to a distinct arachnid order.
Most Solifugae live in tropical or semitropical regions where they inhabit warm and arid habitats, but some species have been known to live in grassland or forest habitats. The most distinctive feature of Solifugae is their large chelicerae. Each of the two chelicerae are composed of two articles forming a powerful pincer; each article bears a variable number of teeth. Males in all families but Eremobatidae possess a flagellum on the basal article of the chelicera. Solifugae also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae and give the appearance of the two extra legs. Pedipalps terminate in eversible adhesive organs.
Solifugae are carnivorous or omnivorous, with most species feeding on termites, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods. Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx.
As indicated by their name, Solifugae are mostly nocturnal, and seek shade during the day. It was this behaviour which led coalition soldiers in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to think these arachnids were attacking them. In reality, they were merely moving toward the newly available shade provided by the soldiers' presence. The absence of shade sends them away.
Solifugae are the subject of many myths and exaggerations about their size, speed, behaviour, appetite, and lethality. They are not especially large, the biggest having a legspan of perhaps 5 inches, and although they are fast on land compared to other invertebrates, the fastest can run perhaps 10 miles per hour, a common running speed for many humans. Members of this order of Arachnidae apparently have no venom and do not spin webs.
In the Middle East, it is common belief among American soldiers stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and, like most creatures with any sort of survival instinct, they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened.
Due to their bizarre appearance and the fact that they produce a hissing sound when they feel threatened, many people are startled or even afraid of them. However, the greatest threat they pose to humans is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound which is prone to infection.
While the absence of venom in Solifugae is a long-established fact, there is a single published study of one species, Rhagodes nigrocinctus, carried out in India in 1978 by a pair of researchers (cited below) who did histological preparations of the chelicerae, and found what they believed to be epidermal glands. Extracts from these glands were then injected into lizards, where it induced paralysis in 7 of 10 tests. While this study has never been confirmed, and while other researchers have been unable to locate similar glands in other species, this particular species does appear to possess venom, although it is not known if there is any mechanism for introducing it into prey. You must recall that the researchers in the test manually injected it into the lizards. Accordingly, for the time being, we must at least acknowledge the possibility that some Solifugae are venomous."
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:37 am
"Good, that's it!" The man exclaimed, happy. "But, to make this class a little more interesting, We've aquired especially large camel spiders. They've aquired a taste for human flesh. I won't say how, but I will say it has something to do with Genetic experiments. They bury themselves in the sand, so watch out in the desert. They're very bitey, these ones." The man laughed again. "We're keeping close watch on you when you're out there. If you're injured, and can't go on, don't worry, you can press the help button. It's a little radio we've included in each of your kits. It has one button, press it to transmit a distress signal. "That about sums up the classroom section of this classes' course. Now we get to pick where you get dropped." The man smiles as he takes out a three 6 sided dice
((You will roll the dice to determine where you are dropped.))
1: Lake
2: Swamp
3: Mountain
4: Desert
5: Grassland
6: Forest
The man takes the dice, and gives one to each "student"
"Well?" He askes "Whad' you get?"
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SprintChamp rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:00 pm
Rolling the dice, Sprint eagerly awaited his exercise. "I got..."
He saw the four, and looked at the list to see it was Desert.
"SON OF A b***h!"
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Suicidesoldier#1 rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:33 am
"Hmm..."
"Swamp, wow, my favorite!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:16 pm
"This is a locker room, you can get changed and prep here, then go out the door. There will be a helicopter waiting for you. Climb aboard. The pilot will take off when everyone's aboard." The man says. He then looks at Zetsu "What does your dice say?" He says, leaning over for a better look.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:22 pm
"Yes sir!" De Marco said as he began walking to the locker room.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:20 pm
Sky Jockey "This is a locker room, you can get changed and prep here, then go out the door. There will be a helicopter waiting for you. Climb aboard. The pilot will take off when everyone's aboard." The man says. He then looks at Zetsu "What does your dice say?" He says, leaning over for a better look.
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:30 am
"No, they're just oversized and hungry. No venom." The man laughs. "So you get a small break."
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:26 pm
Sky Jockey "No, they're just oversized and hungry. No venom." The man laughs. "So you get a small break." Sprint grabbed his equipment, and then headed to his transport. As Sprint walked into his transport vehicle, he muttered, "Son of a b***h..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:06 pm
Changing, De Marco then started torwards the helicopter.
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ADULTS rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:55 pm
((sorry ive been away for awhile.. continue if i dont respond quickly and ill find a way to make up the lost time))
"....it appears Im stuck in the swamps with ya." Upon realizing his position, Zetsu quickly went over the various things to remember while stuck in a swamp-like area.
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:01 pm
While walking out of the room into the locker area, Zetsu remained quiet and considered his situation. After he had readied himself for the journey ahead he walked outside towards his assigned helecopter.
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