I don't see why they wouldn't. An anthropologist down in South America reported that once he overcame his revulsion at the local custom of doing the same thing with Bird Catching Tarantulas he was amazed to find that they tasted very much like crab. Since all three are arachnids, this shouldn't surprise anyone. The hard part for Westerners (the only culture on the planet that doesn't eat insects) is the overcoming the revulsion. I may have to come on over to Dubai and give them a try, myself. What's the preferred Camel Spider season? I'm getting my airgun scope fixed and re-centered today . . .
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001
Quote: Vapodog, you've never been hungry . . . really, really hungry!
I grew up on a dairy farm in Southern Minnesota. We were poor people but there was always meat, cheese, bread and butter, and eggs and produce from a large garden. Right sir.....I've never been real hungry.....and I'm very thankful for that.
Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
When I worked in Iran one about half grown came up the bathtub drain and into the bathtub. I was trying to kill him with a broom and he screeched like a mouse. I damn near jumped out of my shoes.
Posts: 915 | Location: Breckenridge, TX, USA | Registered: 24 November 2001
Crimi Hogfan....don't ruin the meat!!!!!...(just kidding)
Things that look terrible that taste great: lobsters, crabs, codfish, squid, oysters, snails,.....you get the idea.....Ain't no way anyone eats those spiders!!!!!
Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
They look like an over sized Texas bug called an EARTH URCHIN, only about ten times as big! Probably a cousin from the old country! Looks better than a raw oyster, for sure, and I eat those by the dozen! I wish I could get Crawfish that big!
As for the proper rifle, I used to have a Daisey double barrel BB gun, wish I still had it, they are about $1K, to $1.5K today.
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000
Urban legends about the camel spider (properly termed a solpugid or solifugid) are as old as the proverbial hills, but they made a huge resurgence when vectored by American troops in Kuwait during Desert Storm. They're not quite as big as your hand (unless you're a five-year-old), and very shy and secretive. They do like to hide in the shadows, and they do run very, very quickly for a critter (they can reach about 10 MPH, the fastest known non-flying arthropod). They make no noise whatsoever, they have no venom whatsoever, and they do not eat flesh--they eat small desert arthropods like crickets and pillbugs. The rumors of their attacking camels, or crawling onto sleeping GIs' faces, apparently stem from one of two things, both of which may be true to some extent: (1) they may use hair to line their burrow when they are about to lay a batch of eggs, said hair being clipped from dead camels or other dead mammals (and a sleeping GI is not much different), and/or (2) dead camels are covered with flies, and crawling over a camel corpse may make for a convenient way to get a good meal of flies.
We have camel spiders in the sandy parts of the southwest U.S. and Mexico (in Mexico they are called matevenados), considerably smaller than the Middle Eastern types, but of the same shy, unassuming habits. Completely harmless and beneficial critters, like the desert equivalent of a praying mantis.
Send one to Louisiana, south of I-10, let the locals taste it. Tell the locals they are out of season and good to eat and they will be extinct in about 6 months.
Posts: 10411 | Location: Texas... time to secede!! | Registered: 12 February 2004
I have seen Transulas in Texas twice that big, hell boy you ain't got nothing there!! The Del Carmen Catawhampuses of the Big Bend and Northern Mexico eats them btw...
Napalm works real on them...
Posts: 42195 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
When I was in Kuwait one of the infantry LT's woke up with a 3" Camel spider on his face. It is the only time I have ever heard a grown man scream like a girl. He emptied his entire M16 mag into the thing managing to put a whole bunch of holes in his sleeping bag and pack full of gear that was under his cot. Needless to say he never lived that down and had to see the task force commander to explain his reaction. It didnt go very well for him on the colonels carpet.
Posts: 3156 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
Eh Russ, y'get that sort of thing with lieutenants. Takes'em a while to settle in. I once, in my usual unfortunate habit of thinking out loud, muttered that one of the most important jobs of a senior NCO was to keep junior officers alive long enough to get to be senior officers so they'd be good for something. The major behind me responded, "Man, you've got that right!" He'll be O.K. . . . eventually.
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001
Quote: When I was in Kuwait one of the infantry LT's woke up with a 3" Camel spider on his face. It is the only time I have ever heard a grown man scream like a girl. He emptied his entire M16 mag into the thing managing to put a whole bunch of holes in his sleeping bag and pack full of gear that was under his cot. Needless to say he never lived that down and had to see the task force commander to explain his reaction. It didnt go very well for him on the colonels carpet.
I got as far as "emptied his entire M16 mag into the thing" and realized this soldier had gotten himself a visit to "the man." I can see things both ways, I suppose, but... out of concern for all those rounds going other places besides into or around the camel spider... I'd have to say he made a gross error in judgment. Americans in Iraq have shot up a lot of other Americans in Iraq because they made grave mistakes in handling their assigned weapons. So, I'd have to say that going "rock 'n' roll" on a camel spider out of "reflex" probably wasn't a smart call. I can understand it, though. I wouldn't have condoned it, but I'd have understood it.
Personally, I slept with a knife handy for such "close encounters." People were always careful about waking me up. However, I have to point out it's hard to shoot someone three tents away when you're using a knife.
Hooah.
Russ
Posts: 2982 | Location: Silvis, IL | Registered: 12 May 2001
Like Russ I much prefer to carry a knife for the creepy crawlers. For some wierd reason when others know you carry a VERY sharp knife and can use it they are VERY careful when they disturb you.
(It took me about 10 edits to finally get the pic to show up)
Here is a pic of a 3" black scorpion from pincer to tail that tried getting cozy with me while in Kuwait in 2000. He was one of hundreds I skewered that rotation. And yes I did take a bite of him but he tasted so bitter I spit him out. They are much better roasted. Not kidding.
The funniest part of the whole LT/camel spider incident was the high pitched shrill scream. I have 4 older sisters and never heard one scream like that LT did. I am not sure which embarresed him more: his going Rambo or the delightful girlish shriek.
Posts: 3156 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
Actualy it is an Old Timer that I put a real nice set of walnut burl scales on. The burl came from a walnut tree on Ft Hood. I saw this big round burl up in the tree while out in the field and went out a week later and cut the burl off.
Posts: 3156 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
I openly admit to pulling some very nasty stunts on frsh Butterbars. This one included. But in this instance it was completely Mother Nature at work. Here are some of my personal favorites, especially to Lt's fresh from West Point: send them to the first sergeant and ask him for a PRC (pronounced prick) E-8, checking the armor on the tank for "soft spots" by pinging the tank with a hammer and circling the "dud" spots with chalk.
And my personal favorite: having them hold the leads to a TA-1 field phone to "make sure it is operational" while squeesing the plunger. Gives one hell of an electrical shock.
Posts: 3156 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
They are such easy targets though? I remember one, a Mr Snaith, who attended a company "O" group with both eyes blacked out because some how boot polish got on to his bino's! Another we had eating sheep shit on a Survival Course...he "saw" a couple of the NCO's do it and did not want to loose face infront of the men...What he did not see was the slight of hand which meant the two Instructors were actually eating rolled oxo cubes! happy times!
Regards,
Pete
Posts: 5684 | Location: North Wales UK | Registered: 22 May 2002
If it wasnt for us NCO's setting the LT's straight the trouble they would get themselves into is unmeasurable. Just because we have a little fun while doing makes it more interesting for everyone else.
Posts: 3156 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
