There's a beastie calles a solifuge, or "sun-spider", in southern Africa, that lives in little holes in the ground and eats other insects. It isn't a true spider, but it sure as hell looks like one. The fifth (and front) pair of legs has modified into jaw attachments, so it looks like a spider with a big bite. It comes in sizes from about 1cm to 10cm - and it's completely harmless. They come out at night (hence the name solifuge) and panic when they realise you are there. They then run around in confusion. I love them.

We were in the Kruger Park, camping, about 20 years ago, when we heard the footsteps on the ground sheet. Well let's just say it was of comparable size to the Land Rover bunch of keys! (And I have the photograph to prove it). I told my husband that I knew it was harmless, but I was buggered if I was going to have that walking on my face during the night. So after a bit of a mad chase, he trapped it in a plastic tub and went over to the other side of the toilet block to let it go.

There was a school party staying on site, and the lads were being all macho about how they weren't scared of anything. Ian went up to one and asked if he wanted to see a spider. I heard the screams quite clearly! The solifuge had got itself quite agitated by now, and when the lid was removed, it leapt out.

Andrea

"If you want your house to thrive, let the spider run alive".