_THE WIND SCORPION (Solifugae)

CG ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC :
The moving of the Wind Scorpion.

"Massive jaws, voracious appetite, and sprinters' speed attest that these aggressive desert dwellers are built to kill.

Get a taste of what awaits you in print from this compelling excerpt.

Not actually scorpions, these predators are solifugids, members of the Arachnida, a class that includes spiders, mites, ticks, and true scorpions. Sometimes known as sun spiders, and called camel spiders in North Africa and the Middle East because of their humped profile, wind scorpions weigh as much as two ounces (56 grams) and can have leg spans exceeding five inches (12 centimeters). Most of the 1,100 species are nocturnal. Racing over the sand in the dark like supercharged dune buggies, they seem to know no fear.

(Text by Mark W. Moffett )

First mockup :