newest photos added November 27, 2009

Amblypygids are tropical and subtropical arachnids. Their bodies are highly flattened and, like solifugids, thelyphonids, palpigrades and schizomids, the first pair of what are walking legs in most orders are modified to act as sensory organs. In amblypygids these modified legs (the thin legs in the pictures below) are commonly several times the length of body and can be used to probe the environment at some distance from the animal. Behaviorally, amblypygids often move about sideways in a manner reminiscent of crabs. The name "amblypygid" means "blunt rump", a reference to the fact that they lack the "tail" found in thelyphonids and schizomids.