Creepy Crawler Carnival #1: Solpugids

I've decided that in order to make the inevitable discovery of assorted many-legged (and no-legged) organisms in and around our new home less, well, creepy, I will instead be celebrating each such encounter with gusto and vigor here on my blog. That's right, we will delight together in the overall creepiness of each entry in our own miniature "freakshow." I will also attempt to de-creepify these amazing creatures by explaining what makes each of them so cool and uniquely adapted for survival in the Arizona semi-arid desert scrublands. So, if anyone reading this is creeped out by these types of organisms and is planning to visit us at some point in the future (i.e., assorted members of the Renslow family), you may want to skip any post that is titled like this one.
Note: No solpugids were harmed in the making of this post.

Creepy Crawler Carnival #1
Solpugids
(Eremobates durangonus)
Also known by the common names camel spider, wind scorpion, and sun scorpion, solpugids are not actually spiders nor scorpions. This little guy was discovered cowering in the corner of our kitchen doorjam by Sonja. I was pleasantly surprised that Sonja didn't freak out when she saw it. Instead, she simply said (rather nonchalantly, I might add), "Paul, there's a wierd spider thing over here." It was relatively easy to catch, and spent only a few minutes in the wine glass you see above (just long enough to snap a few pictures) before being released back into the wilds of our backyard.

One of the more interesting features of solpugids are its pedipalps, those two long, black-tipped leg-things in front. These are actually modified legs that have become sensory organs, used to find prey while walking around (rather quickly, I might add) on the other six legs.

Unlike other arachnids (like spiders and scorpions), solpugids have no venom, so they are relatively harmless. However, I've been told that getting bitten by one isn't particularly enjoyable, either. And after getting a close look at its jaws (chelicerae), I don't think I ever want to experience it. They do make this creature a rather formidable foe to all sorts of other crawlies (like spiders and scorpions, for instance), so having these in your home could actually be considered a good thing. Unless you like spiders and scorpions, I guess.