NIGHTMARE FUEL : THE SOLIFUGE

via A.J.'s Reptiles:

This is a solifuge

Also known as a camel spider, wind scorpion, or sun spider

But it’s not a true spider
And definitely not a scorpion
It belongs to the order Solifugae

An ancient group of arachnids that live in the hottest deserts on Earth
From the Sahara to the Sonoran
Its most iconic feature?

Those oversized chelicerae—razor-sharp jaws that can crush insects, sever lizard flesh, and even break mouse bones

It doesn’t inject venom
It just tears through muscle
And feeds while the prey still twitches

Fast?
It can sprint up to 16 km/h—about as fast as a human jog
It runs with such speed that its legs blur against the sand

And when cornered, it rears up like this
Not to scare
But to strike

That gesture is a warning to back off
Because solifuges don’t bluff
They lunge, clamp, and shred

They use their long pedipalps like antennae
Feeling vibrations
Tasting chemical trails

And tracking movement with eerie precision

They don’t want to fight humans
But if you disturb one in the dark, it might chase you
Not to attack
But to hide in your shadow

Because even nightmares need shade