A Crab or a Spider?

Can you see that creepy little thing down at the bottom of that cup? It is a hideous spider looking thing – like a tarantula, except it has claws in the front.  What the heck could that be?  I do not know.  A close friend found it in her yard and was completely creeped out when her puppy was investigating it.

Natalie saw the photo and wanted to know what that THING is?!  I told her it cannot be a spider because it has claws and only 6 legs, so maybe it is some kind of crab.  If it is a crab it isn’t dangerous, even though it looks disgusting.

Her reply:  Well, Mom, they just said ON THE NEWS that crabs are dangerous, you shouldn’t go NEAR them and they are HIGHLY “alerngic”!

I don’t know what it is but I don’t plan to go near it, regardless.