Whether fighting terrorists or looking for deserters like Bowe Bergdahl, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan face more danger than just Al Qaeda and the Taliban. For example, this picture of giant camel spiders reportedly comes from a soldier, stationed in the desert near Baghdad, Iraq, who was bitten by one that was hiding in his sleeping bag. Fortunately, camel spiders aren’t venomous… (they’re not really even giant spiders at all) but they’re BIG and FAST (they can run around 10MPH, as shown in the video below the picture).
The photo shows two camel 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 possible to see one charging across the Iraqi desert at you — only to come to a screeching halt when it reaches your shadow.
Below the photo is a video of the camel spider in action.
Up Next: 9 Funny Pictures of Stupid Men
