Camel Spider Facts And Myths
The camel spider is also known as a wind scorpion, sun spider, and wind spider.
They are found mostly in the southwest U.S. and in southern Africa -- usually in desert areas.
Camel Spider Myths
There are many myths surrounding camel spiders, most of which are blatantly untrue.
I think my favorite is the one about how camel spiders can run after you at 30 mph while screaming!
My second favorite is the one that says a camel spider's venom is an anesthetic and that they inject humans with it and chew big bites out of them, and that the human will not know they've been bitten till they wake up.
Okay, granted they are ugly little buggers, I'll be the first to admit that. However, most of the stories attributed to camel spiders are not true. Most are merely urban myths.
There are several stories, pictures and videos online pertaining to the camel spider -- many of these are out of Iraq. Here are 2 videos that show the camel spider in action:
So, if those are the myths, what are the facts about camel spiders?
10 Camel Spider Facts
#1 The camel spider got its name because it lives in the desert like the camels. Its name also stems from the urban myth that camel spiders attack camels by jumping on them and eating out their stomachs to lay their eggs in.
#2 The terror associated with camel spiders came in part from the early 90's when U.S. soldiers were returning from Desert Storm they told stories about the camel spiders they had seen there, as have our troops returning from Iraq.
#3 The camel spider isn't a spider at all, but rather a solpugid which is still in the Arachnid family, but not technically a spider.
#4 The camel spider can only run 10 mph. The reason people think they are being chased by camel spiders is that they are nocturnal and don't like to be out in the open. To avoid that, they will follow your shadow. As your shadow moves, so does the camel spider.
#5 Camel spiders only use 3 pairs of legs for running. They hold out the pair of legs in front to be used like antennae.
#6 There is no evidence that camel spiders can jump, contrary to many claims.
#7 The camel spider is not poisonous, nor does it have venom. (There is one species in India that may in fact have venom, but it is not known if this species of camel spider has a way to inject its venom.)
#8 It is rare for a human to be bitten by a camel spider but it does sometimes happen. If you are bitten, you should go to the doctor right away to have the bite wound cleaned because camel spider bites can easily become infected.
#9 While this spider's bite is not harmful to humans (unless it gets infected), the camel spider can kill small animals. In fact, the camel spider eats other insects, small lizards, small mice and birds.
#10 Camel spiders can grow up to 6 inches in length.
The Takeaway:
The most important things to remember about camel spiders...
They aren't poisonous.
They don't bite humans unless they feel threatened.
Most of what you read and hear from soldiers in Iraq is false.This doesn't mean that the soldiers are being untruthful. They've probably heard the urban legends and bought into them just as many uninformed people have done.
If you keep these simple facts in mind (and remember to see your doctor if you get bitten so that the bite doesn't get infected), then you'll be fine.
We caught a camel spider and are keeping it as a pet. We have found that our spider likes to dig in dirt and after attempting to put a piece of white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie that was covered in ants to feed it the camel spider does enjoy eating the cookie more than the ants.
umm... i just had a camel spider crawl into my shoe ;so, i took it outside and i watched it jump from my shoe... are you sure about all your facts ?
They are still cool to watch and think what if they were real...I like doing that...