Calling all linguistics majors, WTF were they (they meaning whoever comes up with organism names) thinking when they named the camel spider? Neither a camel nor a spider, but a combination of a spider and a scorpion, the camel spider is also called the sun spider and the wind scorpion. If you want to be legit, call it a solpugid.

According to Jeff Schlalau of the University of Arizona:

After chasing down and catching their prey with the pedipalps, the prey is crushed by the formidable fangs (called chelicerae). After killing their prey, they suck out the juice, and eat some of the fine particles, and discard the pulp…

Solpugids are commonly considered to be venomous, but poison glands have not been found associated with the chelicerae. It has been suggested that poisoning might result from toxins being secreted from the bristle-like hairs near the chelicerae, but this has not been confirmed.

Okay Jeff, you may be a big fan of camel spiders. You may want to protect the little guys. But their poisonous effects are hardly unconfirmed.

Today Sky news reports:

The Griffiths are fighting the war at home against the giant arachnid, who was unwittingly transported back from Afghanistan in paratrooper Rodney's luggage.

They have already lost their beloved eight-year-old dog, Bella, to the camel spider.

The family pet had to be put down after being bitten by the venomous attacker.

Lorraine Griffiths and her three children, aged 18, 16 and four, have been forced to leave their family home in Colchester, Essex.

They are now refusing to return to the property until the killer spider is captured by the RSPCA.

Found in desert regions, camel spiders can grow up to 6ins and reach speeds of up to 10mph, making them devils to catch.

Six inches long? Leaves you hollow after an encounter? My, my, sounds like the creepy ex...