But as the moon rises, it illuminates an unearthly world, a realm of strange creatures specially adapted to the chill desert night. Sun spider, scorpion, gecko and golden mole materialize out of their diurnal hiding places to feed. They work franticly to feed themselves before sunrise, when like ghosts, they disappear into the Namib sands. Scorpion Vampires of the dunes, scorpions feed on other arachnids and beetles, drinking blood drops from their prey's bodies.
Scorpions have hair on their feet for burrowing, and long straight claws to seize and crush prey.
Most active at night, scorpions capture and eat spiders and insects. Owls, rodents and jackals are their main predators. A type of arachnid, the sun spider has the largest jaws in the animal kingdom. A recently discovered intertidal, poisonous species of the sun spider burrows just above the high tide. Hunting in seaweed and in grainy debris along the shore, they prey on isopods and arthropods.