A camel spider, which is also in the class Arachnida with spiders interestingly enough, is not a spider at all. A camel spider is actually a solpugid, and there are about 900 species of them known to date. Around 50 species of camel spiders are found in southwest US and about 240 in southern Africa. The reason behind the name ‘camel spiders’ is simply because they are found in the desert. A Camel spider is also known as wind scorpion, sun spider, and wind spider.
A camel spider can run at 30 mph and they have a terrifying scream while they run! At least that is what urban legend and popular myths would have you believe. The truth is that a camel spider can only run about 10 mph. Camel spiders can get up to 6 inches long and are nocturnal creatures (prefer the night). the Camel Spider will dig holes and burrows where they spend time during the day. Because the camel spider possesses no venom and is not poisonous and must rely on other assets, for example their force and their speed.
Camel Spiders
Camel Spiders can jump 4 or more feet into the air, eat the stomachs out of camels, and can grow to be the size of a dinner plate – again, another myth of which none are true.
In fact, the picture of the soldier holding the camel spider is really a picture of two camel spiders attached to one another and held out in front of the soldier to make it appear larger than it really is! The picture of the smaller camel spider below is what you can expect.
Screaming Spider
What spooks so many people is that the camel spider seeks out shadows, so if your walking (and even running), the camel spider will actually follow your shadow! This leads to people imagining that the spider is screaming while chasing them!
Because they run so fast and stay in your shadow, you might think they are chasing you but in fact, they are simply staying out of the light.
The next time you are walking and notice a massive spider following you, don’t get to excited, it’s just you standard camel spider seeking shelter.
Camel spiders are nocturnal and they spend most the day hidden in burrows that they excavated themselves rather than using a pre-existing hole.
A Camel spider is more likely to be seen during the spring and summer months due to the fact that they dislike cold weather. Camel spiders typically feed on insects, scorpions, or lizards and often eat so much that they become bloated and can hardly move (much like I do when eating out!)
The camel spider is not dangerous and typically does not bite humans unless it is on accident or they feel threatened (except for this Camel Spider Bite), as is the case with other spiders. Like other spider bites, it is important to consult a doctor immediately after being bitten by a camel spider, especially if the kind of spider is unknown.
I saw my first camel spider 3 years ago outside my condo in Las Vegas. I had just happened to walk outside and had my camera phone on. I took video and could not believe how fast it was!! Since then I’ve seen a dozen more. These things are so nasty looking. They are fast!! I’ve killed several inside my house.
These camel spiders are very aggressive! A few years ago I turned the light on in my bathroom and saw this big ugly thing about 6 foot high up the wall. I call it “thing” because I didn’t know what the hell it was. Looks like a big Spider Scorpion apparition. Anyway, this thing was reared up on its hind legs with its front appendages held up in an aggressive fashion ready to attack.
I ran to the kitchen to get the bug spray and went back to give it a good shot. Soon as I sprayed, the thing got pissed off and jumped right on me. I frantically brushed the thing off and ran out the bathroom running into the door jamb as I looked behind me. The thing was really pissed off now and chased me through the bedroom and halfway down the hallway. This happened in a matter of seconds.
I collected my composure and attempted again to spray it thinking I was not going to let this thing get away or run loose in the house. As I approached it, the thing came after me again! This time I held my ground and saturated it with raid. This is not a normal bug you can easily get with your shoe.
They are FAST! Best thing to do is back off when you see one and if it chases you, RUN. They are very smart and aggressive and will go after you if they are threatened.
in Franklin NC we have them but here we just call them crickey spider.
I live in south Texas and I found one today maybe about 1 inch long. I have it in a little cage thing with some dirt so it can burrow its pretty cool I saw it eat a bug today these little guys are so interesting!
Just to clear things up…camel spiders can technically feed off of a human as a last resort in the desert and the only reason I know this is that 3 years ago when my uncle went to Iraq with the paras he was asleep at night before his shift when he was awoken by feeling something by his ear (this being one of the legs) he woke up to find a camel spider next to him scuttle away with a small hole (but noticeable) on his cheek about half an inch long where the spider had taken a small chunk..when he came back I just assumed he got shot or something but guess I was wrong, and the only reason he didn’t feel it was due to that numbing thing..not venom..but if it came down to it any carnivorous animal would attack a larger creature if it meant it was its only means of food
I served in the Middle East, and in Arabic, their name means “Angel Face”
Saw one of these bad boys kill a small snake outside my room. Scary little buggers.
There is one poisonous species in India, it’s quite striking in appearance (kind of a bluish green and beige) and it has been scientifically proven that their saliva has paralyzed lizards (7 out of 10) very quickly. So i know of at least one poisonous species. (Rhagodes nigrocinctus)
I caught a camel spider October 20, 2011, in my house in Cottonwood, California. I vacuumed it up and it has survived for a week now. My brave daughter was able to dump the spider into a coffee can. It is still alive. I did not know it was a camel spider at the time. I had never seen anything like it in my life. When we first saw it, my first instinct was that it was not a spider at all, but kind of looked like one. My daughter found pictures of the “spider” on the internet. I have examined the creature very closely, and sure enough, it is indeed a camel spider! It is about 1 to 1.5 inches long. I just fed it a grasshopper to keep it alive. Don’t know why, it is really creepy!!! I surely hope it doesn’t have a mate around.
I live in Las Vegas I was working for a furniture moving company in summer 2010, A coworker and I were picking up some empty clothes boxes for a customer that had just moved to Henderson Nevada about 15 miles south of las Vegas from Idaho, soon as i went into the customers garage i saw something jump of a tall wardrobe box out the corner of my eye i tough I was tripping, Until the customer started screaming ! Right then i knew that i wasn’t tripping when I looked back down saw a big ass gigantic bug ! my coworker ran from the moving truck into the garage and when he seen the gigantic bug he tired to stomp on it but his feet was stuck in midair because he was tripping off the size of the insect, ( About 5 inches )
The thing was funnier after all the excitement a took a shovel and smash it ! The customer was happy but she didn’t even give us a tip after all that drama, i later found it was a camel spider on the internet. Oh yeah i was scared to go to sleep at nite for a while after that !!! Lol !!
Actually, these little guys are not poisonous at all. The bite they leave actually is simply prone to infection. No poison left at all.
to my calculations they are not harmful and run quite quick but they do no have any harmful bites either
sincerly,
dr. andrew jackson
Somebody got there facts wrong!! these spiders are VERY poisonous, a friend of mine got bitten in Iraq and almost lost her thumb from the infection the vemon caused! It dissolved the muscle of her thumb, much like a brown recluse does!!
Some of the myths and sizes are true about the camel spider, the photo of the soldiers holding it up is of two spiders, which we all know, but they are not held out to make them look bigger. They do get that big and run that fast in Iraq.
I like camel spiders we would catch them for fun some times on checkpoint for fun in Kirkuk
I was at work today and noticed a little light-brown critter running towards me, it looked (it’s dead now) like a cricket yet it moved too fast and it had two long front legs pointing up in the air while it ran. Upon further inspection along with some internet help I was able to determine the type of spider. I didn’t know those spiders lived here in the Imperial County CALIFORNIA. I work in a clean brand new buillding too.
I caught one this morning in my house. He isn’t huge but if you fed him and kept him in a big enough tank he could be. Suckers are fast! Anyone want to buy him? I can send pics…
I live in the Las Vegas Valley, and have lots of these around my house. We call them sun spiders or wind scorpions. The first one I saw scared me quite a bit, but when I found out they were non-poisonous and preyed on other bugs, including scorpions, I decided to leave them alone and let them keep my house scorpion free. The largest one I’ve seen is no more than 3″, but they are a scary sight. I understand they grow much bigger in the Mideast. They don’t like the light and usually only come out at night. I wonder if you could see them at night with a black light, like scorpions, but I’ve never tried that. I’ve seen babies the size of the one in the picture with a penny for size comparison. Though I don’t want to touch one, I think the ones we have here are beneficial and should be left alone. They are killed by the bug spray exterminators use.
I’m not sure what spider the experts are studying… i am in Iraq now and have seen many camel spiders……. two of which were as big as a Frisbee and are very aggressive……
Got these weirdos in my house and much to my surprise the first one I saw was around 3″ here
in Elizabeth, Colorado. I was hysterical really!!! I thought OMG what is this creature something FREAKY out of a Sci Fi movie??
Was too afraid to get my hand near it to kill it had to use a big shoe. These things are seriously GROSS!..hate them.. I keep finding them…
Camel Spiders are sooooo ugly & scary!!! I’m just glad the MYTHS aren’t true ^^
i just caught one i have it here at work i feed it crickets that i buy at petsmart. its about an inch long i named it chomper. this thing is a good pet and puts on a good show as soon as it spots a cricket. by the way check your shoes before you put them on…. that’s where i found this one!
I caught a 1/2 inch one of these guys one the stairs to my house (I’m a pro arthropod keeper he’s in good hands.)
my husband served in the military and we had a guy who was an amazing story teller in his company. this guy swore up and down that a camel spider got in a friend of his luggage on the trip back from Afghanistan and made it to the guys house. he then told us how his friend came home one day to find his German Sheppard ripped to shreds by a gigantic spider and they couldn’t get the thing out of the house so they had to burn it down…that right there is 1 for the history books boys
these don’t look like spiders.
they look like potato bugs. ughh they are so nasty.
I think Camel Spiders can get bigger then 2 or 6 inches because I have seen ones about as big a ping pong paddle. Those things are cool though i I like this spider way better than the Tarantula
I did not know that they numb you that’s crazy and all of you say you want them as pets your crazy to i hope i don’t come across one cause I’ll run and it will probably chase me
I realize that these *NASTY* creatures are not actually a spider, but in my own opinion, anything that consists of ‘spider-like’ characteristics is a spider and they should be dealt with accordingly(*KILLED*)! I have a disorder, if you will, called arachnid-phobia(really hate/scared of spiders), and these camel spiders don’t bring me any comfort by just knowing that it isn’t actually a “spider”.
Just thought that I would share my thoughts/feelings about them with the world. Thank you for reading and being able to understand that if I was ever to come across one, I WILL kill it, regardless if it is harmless.
CASSIE B*
NEBRASKA
I want this type of spider it is so cool, I would love to have one.
I don’t understand why you guys would want one of these creatures as a pet. Sure they are cool looking but its risky and ignorant to keep one in a cage. Not to mention it is very cruel for the spiders sake, being in such a confined space….
wow some pretty cool spiders………. YEAH RIGHT.
I found this exact same spider in my room and it was 6.5 inches. I know they aren’t poisonous, but this could take a massive chunk out of you.
Dang! Those things are HUGE! Even though they have a poisonus bite, I would LOVE to have one as a pet.
I live at Ft Irwin and I am terrified….I hate spiders my husband says that I actually have a really bad case of arachnophobia. I HATE them big or small I will freak..I basically scream and then freeze in place…I haven’t seen one and pray to God I wont.
CAMEL SPIDERS AREN’T SPIDERS. all you people commenting saying they are “disgusting mutated spiders” or “just have an extra pair of legs” ARE WRONG. they aren’t scorpions or spiders. they are their own thing. they DON’T have venom, and they are very aggressive. their bite is still painful but will not do harm. they are more correctly solifugae.
these are huge
okay people i have looked up this spider its not poisonous okay get is right they attack when they feel threatened and that’s all stop the myths okay thanks!
This is a true story. I am laughing now about this but at the time fear is what I felt.
The story goes like this, I was working on top of a USAF aircraft that was station in the middle east, cant tell you where because the location is secret… I was placing some panels on a jet that I just fixed for wing tip light problem. I started down the pilot ladder, then I noticed this thing that started toward me running very quick and then stop front legs up in attack mode, pincers stamping at me and jumping at me when got closer to the ground. I got back on top of the aircraft were I was safe from that thing (then I did not know it was a camel spider). I started to drop my tools on it but that thing was quick. It sat there with it legs up and ready to attack. I sat on the wing looking down at it waiting for someone to kill it. After half hour latter my boss trapped the spider and gave it to one of the crew chiefs to keep as a pet. I’ve seen that spider kill other things like centipedes, scorpions, and other spiders. It is all cool until someone gets bit. More to come on this story….. Jan
i just saw one today very big but not that scary. it actually ran from us. im in Kuwait. so i took a pic and left it alone. cool experience though
My boyfriend could be going to TX. for G.M. training and I as well as our cat will be going with him. I swear if I see a camel spider it will be dead. I hate all spiders. I saw a spider one time in my apt. (do not what kind.) but I screamed so loud it ran away and the guy who lives above me came running down the stairs because he thought I was be killed by someone. I will scream and then kill the thing with the heel of my shoe. No spider comes near me and live to see the next day.
These sort of spiders actually nip you and inject an anesthetic so it feels numb. Then after that, every other spider come along and eats your flesh to the bone. (and you can’t feel it due to the anesthetic type injection by the camel spider).
2 years ago i was in a “survival” trip in the Judean desert, Israel. During the trip, while walking I saw something really weird, around 4inches big “spider”, that was pretty much same color as the sand, runs really fast and it ran beside me! I was a bit scared, was getting nearer to it and it looked like a scorpion mixed with spider. I was shocked. I tried to explain people what I saw, none knew what I was talking about. I was looking it up on the internet with no success. A few years after I was talking to my friend, we somehow got to talk about my survival trip and what I saw and he told me he knows what I am talking about – “Camel Spider”, later on checking on this website for some images I had proof it was what I saw! I must say it didn’t look like an aggressive “bug”, but it is hideous looking creature that I wouldn’t want to meet ever again, unless if that bug is in a box or something.
camel spiders are my worst nightmare i hate them and i think they should be took out off the world or at least keep out off kentucky forever
No one is a worse arachnophobia than I. But it is not the “bug” I am afraid of, it is the bite that I fear. When I moved to Nevada I encountered these spider relatives; sun spiders, venagaroons, and a single extraordinary amblipygid. These creatures are so odd, ugly, and hideous, that I had to find out what they are. So I did my research at proper education web sites. I found that these creatures are nonvenomous and harmless.
Later, I caught a small sun spider (1 inch) in my house. With considerable “goose bumps” I let the little guy crawl from on hand and up my arm. Nothing to it. I took it out and let it go. Summer 2009 I saw my first “big” sun spider, with a body about 3 inches. I tried to catch it, and it bit my finger with its pincer jaws. The pain was quite startling, but no worse than some grasshopper bites I have had. The bite did not break the skin, and left no trace. This past August, the sun spiders were “running thick.” I caught one, a big one by hand. It ran up my arm into the sleeve of my tee-shirt. I was terirfied. I did not know how I could get my shirt off without hurting it! But I got it off, and found the sun spider in the arm-pit of the shirt. I made a nice home for it, and for a couple of weeks I caught all kinds of bugs and spiders for it. It seemed to be thriving. I was hoping for babies. They are literal “digging and eating machines.”
But it died for some reason and the roaches I gave it for food ate its body, leaving only those formidable jaws. This was a fascinating experience and I wish I could find a source for pet sun spiders. One last observation, when the light hit its eyes just right, they glowed with a beautiful erie green color. The only other time I recall this shade of green was of the aminita “death cap mushroom.” Please try to get over your fear and revulsion of these strange little creatures. They will not, cannot hurt you.
The camel spider looks so big because of the camera angle.
thanks for the info i am doing a report on a camel spider and this site and your comments helped me hugely thanks
Saw one over in of all places-Tennessee. Northern near the border to Kentucky, it was about an inch long,and extremely rare in the east US(I’ve moved around a bit,places like Vir. And SC)and this is one of two incidents I’ve heard of here.
It was fast,yes,but what was so surprising is that it’s forward two appendages were curved downward,it moved it’s mouth mandibles as threatened,and jumped in the blink of an eye. I looked over on the porch about two feet away, readied my shoe for a death stroke,and it leaped again. Couldn’t find it,because this had been at night.(11-ish).
Uncle in the army told me they got they’re names because while they’re not poisonous,some members of the sub arachnid family solifugae(the aptly named camel spider),does indeed have a stunning effect on the bite area-and that there were stories of camel spiders chewing away at camels,but the camels didn’t feel anything,so didn’t react.(but not just named b/c there in the desert)
I’ve never heard of one being longer than 8 inches,but who knows? Hopefully they won’t spread over here,can’t see how they would.
why is it that spiders are so dangerous how come every time they bite humans is because they feel threatened but people just walk around and they try to attack because they feel there in danger well the human racist is in danger by getting bitten by these dangerous spices.
Wow that spider is huge I wonder if there are even bigger spiders out there but for now I like all spiders.
We have them in Montana. They are freaky looking things. I was walking with my friend last year and I happened to look down and saw one. I called one of my friends and told him to bring a container so I could capture it. We brought it home and I took some pictures. Sadly I did not get a chance to release it, it died a few hours later.
This year the same friend who brought the container to capture the spider found one in his bathroom. he freaked out and killed it. Then Took a picture of it.
Hello. My son and I caught a Camel spider here in Henderson, NV (Las Vegas) and he is the biggest one I have seen in this area. I dealt with them a lot in the middle east and just love all the horror stories I hear. Anyway, I have had mine for a week and two days now. It has eaten two large crickets so far. The second one was in cage with him for two days and they didn’t really bother each other. then, the camel spider decided it was time and just ate it. Ate everything but the back legs. Pretty cool.
I have these spiders at my house. They are big and very scary looking and very fast. I just found one today in my garage, and now it is in a jar. Come and get it, I will find another tomorrow. I found 2 last week, one in my bathroom, yikes time to call the exterminator.
Okay, I have read all the posts, I was in the kuwaiti desert from July 2002 – November 2002 for training then we turned right back around (3rd Infantry Division) and Left for Kuwait again in January 2003 for the invasion and both times there I saw very small camel spiders about an inch and a half and when I went outside the wire for training in 2002 and set up my Retrans site that is where I saw the BIG camel spiders. They are out there! The largest one that I saw (and killed) was camped out under my vehicle at the Retrans site because it was shady there. This beast’s body not including the legs was eight inches long!! from the tip of the pinchers to the end of the fuzzy butt, add the leg span and you have the fabeled dinner plate size that everyone says is an urban ledgend. I killed it with an OE-254 antenna pole there was no way I would be able function knowing that, that spider was crawling around my site!
My theory is (and I am in no way a zoologist) the reason you do not see the really big ones near the kabals is because we have disturbed their natural habitat. The things they like to eat like other bugs, lizards, mice etc went away because we disturbed then too. SO like any creature it is going to go where it can find the most food, and the least competition for that food. So I do believe that the famous camel spider picture of the two spiders together is in fact legit. If you look at the button indentation on the cuffed sleeve you can guage the size as those buttons on those uniforms are 3/4 of an inch long. There is no way that even if they had the spiders really close to the camera and then zoomed in, that those spiders are only a few inches long. The ones I saw in the deserts of kuwait were different sizes large and small so I just wish that people would stop trying to discredit another persons experience.
I have seen them run fast ( I did not have a speed gun so I do not a mph speed) fast enough to be very hard to catch. I saw a large one about 5 inches jump up about 2 feet in the air trying to catch a large moth. I tried to kill a smaller one in my tent on my first trip tp kuwait with a 2×4 and after htree good hit it STILL was not dead and while i am engaging the camel spider it rared up its long front feelers and made a hissing sound. I have seen the swollen discolored bite on the leg of my corporal when he was bit by a very small one. I have seen all of the camel spiders that I wish to see and I KNOW FOR A FACT that they are aggressive creatures not because of some monster movie type mythology but because EVERYTHING that I saw in the that desert was aggressive because the desert is a harsh place and aggressiveness = survival.
Renee Biswell
Formerly Sergeant Houston
My wife found a camel spider right by our front door. It is about 3 inches tip to tip. We live in a desert area on the SW side of Las Vegas, NV. It is very creepy and does hiss/click. Didn’t think i would see one here. Good to know its not dangerous.
I found one in our laundry room the other day. Very scary looking. Wish I knew then that it eats other insects and is the good guy. Was 2 inches long.
Just found this site as I was trying to identify what I thought was some kind of cross between an ant and a spider that Ive been finding at my work. Turns out its a camel spider. Who knew. Its not the 6 inch version that you can get pics of from Iraq, this is the smaller one thats underneath that pic up above. Its about the size of the tip of my pinky to the first knuckle. I live in the southwest and although this site says you can find 50 species of the camel spider in the U.S. I never really imagined finding one let alone 5 at my work in the past month. Weird.
the camel spider hisses insted of screaming.
Hi,
I have a Camel Spider and at the moment, its sat with all of its legs up in the air – like a triange position…..been like this for over a week.
Its still alive as it wiggles its abdomen when disturbed.
Does anyone know whats happening??
Please email me on: chris_may1981 [at] yahoo.co.uk
Thanks
Chris May
I grew up in West Texas, and for years I’ve been trying to get someone to identify this bug that looks like a scorpion sans tail, runs fast and will chase you while making a weird clicking noise. I think people thought I was crazy! So I finally did a dedicated search, and here they are! Good to know they aren’t actually dangerous, and it turns out they actually only chase your shadow. However, with all due respect, I must contradict one small point; they CAN jump, I’ve seen them!
i live in South Eastern Washington, and we have found camel spiders HERE as well. These spiders are spreading quickly, probably due to service men coming home or products being shipped from Mexico or southwest states. Pretty Gross. My girlfriend found 3 of them at a school and brought them home for me to see. Definitely a camel Spider.
I’m in Cottonwood, California and I captured a camel spider yesterday. (July 9th 2010) I was told by coworkers that they are not native to the United States, but the information on this website seems to show otherwise.
It *does* have 10 legs (two of which have very tiny pincers). It also is slightly aggressive, and would chase me. When it sees/hears me come up to its cage, it rears up in a defensive position. I found it after dark and it seemed to be digging and catching bugs in the gravel of my driveway, near my garage. It doesn’t seem to ever make any sounds or ‘screams’. It opens its big mouth defensively when it’s provoked/scared.
I was mostly concerned about if I should report it to someone as a non-native species, but if they’re found in Arizona and whatnot, I guess I’m safe!
As for the other comments on here…I think they got a little blown outta proportion on the internet. Don’t be afraid people ;P. Be more nervous of black widows, brown recluses, and rattlesnakes.
i caught one today in my house in Colorado, it’s just a little one, can so far the myths are being proved to be just that myths, and i think the people to put it to the test would be Adam and Jamie from myth busters.
I found one in the garage last night. Scared the crap out of me. I live in Vegas originally from Wisconsin. We don’t have insects like this in Wisconsin. I came up with a story about him. His name is Craig from Yuma AZ. he was trying to crawl out of his fathers shadow who was a door to door shoe repair man. He didn’t know that this would be his ultimate demise of the bottom of a Nike.
i was sleeping one day and i woke up and there was a camel spider that was like 7 inches next to me when i woke up i didn’t know what it was so it really scared me that’s when i asked my friend about giant spiders then she told me about camel spiders and i researched about them almost every day since
i have found a camel spider on my porch tonight and was the awful looking thing, but then again they do have a purpose ,one of them not being a pet,we live in ARIZONA and these are all over, but the first I’ve seen, but it now housed in a jar for my son’s school to learn about this and other species for his safety, I’m sure we will be seeing more of its family members soon but ,”"HOPING NOT”"
Hi Kandie,
I’m not an expert, but have been researching like crazy because I have found 4 in and around my house in the past week and have small children. I saw one rip the head off a black widow and immediately start chewing away.
They can be called false spiders because they are NOT a spider; no glands for silk, no injection of poison for digestion, bodies are segmented like an ant. Unlike most spiders (that digest their food outside the body and then suck it in) they have no venom! They make up for it with their aggressiveness, speed and huge jaws.
Pedipalps-their antennae that have sticky hairs and are used as front legs. (they can catch insects and climb glass with these)
Chelicerae-huge jaws with 4 scissor-like mouth knives that form a cone when closed. In relation to the size of the body, they are larger than those of any other arachnid. (this should be of comfort, they use these instead of venom- the worst a bite can do is get infected like a cut)
Here is how they eat-
Insects, sometimes still alive, are chewed into tiny pieces, they are quickly crushed, and liquefied into a wet shapeless mass. The muscles in the top of the throat suck the liquid from the mass until it is drained of its fluid and then discarded, nearly dry.
I was really relieved when I found this out. They are still super scary looking guys, but at least I know they are a predator of the black widow which poses more of a threat to my family.
I feel sorry for the fear these creatures evoke- not only for our service men, children everywhere, but for the species too. Most just want to burrow and get out of the sun. (This why they come running after your shadow- not chasing you) Still sometimes, I wish my husband would kill and not be so ecologically sensitive. I wouldn’t kill one with what I know, I just dont want to do the dirty work.
Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, University of Washington
has a great site called spider myths, and it has link to a Nat. Geographic article which was really good.
They have provided entertainment and education for our family but I’m looking forward to the end of summer when these guys go away.
We live in eastern Montana and we have found 2 little ones in our garden. Nobody has been bitten by one thank goodness but one did crawl up my husbands leg. I freaked out and with my gloves on I grabbed it and smashed it right there. I had chills all over.
Okay,
I’ve heard they are harmless yet aggressive…numbing agent…no venom….what is the truth…
i know they eat away, legit stories saying they see chunks missing….underbellies of camels with holes that the ‘camel spider’ enjoyed….
THEY are Relatives to spiders…..so yes they can have 10 legs…well as we see them as legs
yes they can get big..but bodies are bout size of our hands…legs just emphasize how big they are…
who can tell me what the numbing agent is…i’m roaming the web…and all i get is “strong chelicerae”…and from wiki “Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx”"
i’ve been told its like the venom of a recluse spider “”have potent tissue-destroying venoms”" that numbs and liquefies the tissue so the spider may injest it…. but in all the quick research i’ve seen so many sites say…Camel Spiders don’t have VENOM….. so….who can tell me the truth
I found 1 of these camel spiders n my bed where im stationed n bagport, the lil guy bit me n made my arm bleed n sweet up really bad, idk if i have an allergic reaction to them, but it is swelling up really bad and blood just keeps poppin out of these 2 lil holes on my arm. I covered it wit a bandage but it isn’t working, please help me!/
These things are pretty evil looking. I was stationed in Ft. Ord (Monterey, CA) in the 90′s and saw them often. First one I saw was at a MK19 range where it was primarily sandy, approaching dusk. They were only about 2-4″ long, varying each time. Very thick-bodied. Their head/face looks more like a scorpions. At first I thought they were whip scorpions until I did some research.
Their front-most legs are held up in the air more like antenna and they tend to move up and down as they walk. I’ve seen quite a few pictures of them over time and I’m pretty confident we are just looking at various species. I think that’s why people report seeing them in a wide variety of locales. While definitely freaky, I wouldn’t harass them unless they’re being belligerent towards you in close quarters.
Quincy,
As I unfortunately don’t live where camel spiders live (UK), I don’t have experience of catching them. But, if they are really fast-moving, I would try a medium sized net – about a foot across – on a long pole.
If the soil is loose sand you could push it under it, and if the soil is hard put it over it. If they are slower moving, maybe place a flat-edged container (dark) in front of it, and it will run in to escape the light.
You could also try the pitfall trap – a plastic cup sunken into the soil, the top at soil level. Put a live insect in it as a lure. Put slats of wood on the ground radiating out from the trap to guide the spiders towards it.
Of course you may trap other predators instead, so place a number of them out. Foxes often steal the bait!
I used the dark container method for catching giant centipedes – far more aggressive creatures than camel spiders.
Peejay
No, Camel Spiders (Solpugidae) are not true spiders,but are related – they are arachnids, and are therefore related to scorpions, spiders, whip scorpions (vinegaroons or grampus), mites and ticks.
They appear to have ten legs, but the front ‘legs’ are really modified mouth parts – like the claws of a scorpion.
The jaws, which they chew their food with are similar to the small jaws of scorpions – but much larger.
I have been interested in spiders for a long time and if you look closely you notice some key points to the point that it is NOT a spider, one it only has one body segment two notice the eating pattern, spiders eat by turning the insides of insects to mush and drinking it this spider actually eats it prey. also I have been trying to find a specimen for testing, do you have any tips for capturing one alive?
Awesome! There is only one speices in South America that has venom, and nobody knows if it can inject it or not.
hmm, the pictures look really scary…but when i saw it digging a hole in the video it did look kinda cute…until it ate the scorpion!
That is freakin “HUGE” and ugly!!!!!!
The camel spider can get that big because it’s very close familiar to a scorpion. Maybe the camel spider is the evolution between a spider and scorpion.
Some soldiers i know who are rebuilding Iraq, found some of those in there pants and boots. The spiders scare them almost to death.
We have these freaks of nature here in Utah….EVERYWERE!
Theyre my biggest fear!
There is also a kind of spider in Brazil that does run and scream after you and it is NOT the camel spider, but it is bigger.
People, there have been cases when someone has lost their leg in their sleep from camel spiders. What they have is some sort of venom or chemical that makes it so you don’t feel the bite.. then they eat.
Corey said:
#5. February 13th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I want one as a pet. They look cuddly
ARE YOU CRAZY!?
I caught one about 2 inches long in Glamis CA over the weekend. Just went down there to ride and watch the Sand Rails race, and one morning I came out side of the trailer and saw a small white spider digging like Hell! And I just threw a cup over it. When I looked closer I realized that I had caught a freakin Camel Spider!! So I i took it home with me and now its living in my 10 gallon terrarium filled with Glamis sand. So far I’m just feeding it small crickets, hopefully it lives and grows to its maximum length!
that is soooo freakyy. how can a spider possibly get that big?
hi
I live in Australia, i have never seen one of these ever and ony found out they existed because a freind set a status on facebook that they were never going near the desert because of these, so i studied them and found here.
this is a useful site, i NEVER want to meet one, and if i had one it would be living in a fortified tank, with ta least 6″ glass and a hole too small for it to get out of for feeding it… i hate spiders, lol
camel spiders are in the US and are in Colorado but don’t be scared to death of them they are not venomous
Hi Alison,
I, too, living in apartment in Denver, CO. We have not seen any camel spiders in our apartment OR in the area. I don’t think you have any thing to worry about. As far as other spiders we haven’t seen any of those either, but it’s not really something you can 100 percent avoid.
i live in an apartment in Denver, CO. i just want to know am i going to find them in here? i have and extreme case of arachnophobia, it took me two hours to calm down enough to even look at a picture of the stupid things. i just want to know if i will be finding them in my place so i know if i should start packing.
that is one awesome spider
I had a nightmare about camel spiders last night so i checked out this website. now i kinda want one.
they’re still kinda freaky because of how big they are though…
Those spiders are fast! I got bit in by one in las vegas after riding a 4 wheeler around the dessert felt like a i got slammed with a hammer by a carpenter with 2 nails.
Yeah camel spiders, Im in Iraq now and I thought I was going to be scared of them, nah we catch them and kill them all the time. they do follow you during the day. what makes them look so big is their legs. the body is small.
We are living in El Paso, TX since 2 1/2 years and Camel Spiders are really normal here. I had one sitting on my foot 2 years ago and it freaked me out. During the time we are living here we found 4 in our house and 7 outside. Size between 1.5 inch and 4.5 inch. they are nasty but interesting. ;o)
About the legs!!!! They do not have 10 legs, they have 8 and 2 antenna/feeler I don’t know how to call these things. the Camel Spider is a mix of a spider and a scorpion.
Hey Kevin ~
They certainly do live in Northern Colorado!!! We found one on Saturday and have been feeding it grasshoppers! It’s really cool to watch it devour the carcass until there is nothing left!
Hey I just found one of these camel spiders in my garage. If anyone knows what kind of spray to get to keep them away let me know. southwest Las Vegas, NV
I dont know why people make up stories about camel spiders eating flesh after introducing a numbing agent into their victims. I recently found one at work in las vegas, I now have it captive and want to get rid of it, its about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, and i do not want this guy to get loose in my house, Will feed it crickets until i find a buyer. Part of me wants to buy a scorpion and watch them fight, but there is no money to be made from a dead bug. send me your offers, soon, i might buy another ocsar and put them both in my spare tank to see which is more dangerous, my bet would be on the oscar, the spider would be in the fishes element after all.
do camel spiders live in northern Colorado? i found something that looked just like that, it was dead, but not huge, it was about the size of a quarter, not including its legs.
I also live in las vegas and my cat also found a camel spider. I glad this web site was here,I had no way of knowing what the hell my cat was playing with.Thanks for the info.
I live in el El Paso TX and this time of year I dispose of about 3 per week and there ugly looking creatures, my kids are scared of them and they do run quick. Today alone I got rid of 3.
@ Medy
Rubbish. They are harmless. The only risk is infection on the bite, which is a risk with any animal. I’ve had worse bites from cats.
I currently live in southwestern Idaho. It’s a pretty dry, hot region.
My friends and I were out playing in the desert one night and noticed some huge spiders. Well, these huge spiders chased us, have an ant head and almost look like a scorpion. Did some research above and they were identical, just smaller(only about 4 inches long).
Also they can make creepy noises and when they dart, you can’t ketch them. Could it be possible that they made it this far north? And if not, what are they? And how? Also can they be dangerous at all?
Found one in Lake County, CA. Northern CA. My 3 1/2 yr. old son found it in our garage it was sitting in a plastic bucket type thing. He said, “There’s a bug mom”. I looked at it and had no clue if this thing was even from this planet.lol I carried the bucket type thing up to my deck in the sun with absolutely no movement from it. Thank goodness too. If that thing would have made a freakishly fast run for it I would have come down with a case of the Turretts syndrome. Just vocal tics out of nowhere for the rest of my natural life.lol (yeah I know, Turretts is no laughing matter!) Anyway, got it into a plastic mayo jar and all hell broke loose. It was none too happy. It was running in a fast little circle and it hissed at me! Thank goodness it didn’t display it’s jumping ability. It took me more than a few seconds in between taking the bucket away from the jar till the lid was placed. After the lid was on it was still. Until I tapped the jar with a screwdriver. It was incredibly aggressive. If I had to deal with those things any larger and on a daily basis I’d be rocking in the corner with my eyes peeled and shovel raised. Reminiscing about it I get the “cold shake- echhhh” reaction. Oh I forgot to mention it was about 2 inches in length. That body looks normal but that head, ecchhhhhh. My husband calls it the Camel Toe spider.lol When it’s mouth is closed it does kinda resemble… A friend asked me if I was going to feed it. Oh hell-no! I don’t want it to live. She’s a -let it go free and unharmed type person. I’m not. It’s been about a month since I found it. A neighbor got a tip as to what it might be from a soldier whom, returned safely thank goodness. Checked it out and wah-lah! I caught me a Camel Toe spider. It’s sitting in my bosses office (exterminator btw) preserved in alcohol. My boss didn’t even know what it was. His best guess was scorpion but couldn’t say for sure. Spiders don’t really bother me. If I come across a black widow I’ll take the time to step on it. I don’t run away screaming or anything. But the Camel Toe is a freaky looking creature. Ok then, sleep tight.
I’am in Kirkuk,Iraq! We have a camel spider as a pet feading it regularly. I even have put creatin in his water trying to make Number 2 “his name” bigger! The way he got caught was one of my buddies had it crawl up his gym shorts and bite his sack. When swated to the floor another co-worker of mine captured it! Josh didn’t go to the doctor right away because he said it was nothing. We just found out there is a chance of loosing his left testical because he didn’t seek treatment. So, lesson to all of you kids out there bites make you loose nuts so get checked out by a DOC! Sincerly the boys bleeding right white and blue!!!
I moved to Las Vegas just over a month ago. I’ve had an exterminator spray three times but have found FOUR CAMEL SPIDERS in and around my home. They’re are not cool, sweet or awesome. The fastest, largest and scariest insect I have ever seen. The largest over four inches (larger than your palm). I’m glad to hear they’re not poisonous. Believe me, noone wants one as a pet.
while my father was in iraq he found a camel spider and named it sandy. his squad had fun because they put it in a big jar with other spiders and scorpions. every battle was won by sandy but they had to let her go.
My wife and I were on our front porch (Las Vegas) tonight (12JULY09) and one sprinted across the concrete towards my wifes feet and of course she screamed and climbed on her chair and refused to get down..lol.. She was like “What the HELL was that thing?”, I instantly recognized it from previous deployments and told her that its not an arachnid, but its called a camel spider. They are in the same family as scorpions but not poisonous at all. She remained freaked out for a good 2 hours after that encounter..lol.. This one was about 2″ diameter. One of my deployments to Bagram airfield Afghanistan I saw them all the time until winter crashed in on us, and Bagram is almost a mile high in elevation.
I am in the army currently serving in Iraq and just had one of these guys run right across my path earlier this morning. They really don’t get all the big, but are very agile and very fast. Just the other day one of my soldiers tried to step on one and it ran around and up his leg and was on his back. He was stripping down trying to find it and reached around, felt it on his back, flung it and screamed. Pretty comical.
we just killed a camel spider about a inch long in my daughters kitchen in clovis new mexico and they are very aggressive the thing came after me i am in shock that this thing is here it made my skin crawl.
I found a camel spider looking thing, but it is smaller then all of the pictures that are posted. I was wondering if they come in all size or just large and extra large?
Here is a picture of one that I found in my living room, hiding under a cat toy! Enjoy! We live in Idaho by the way!
Hey,
so I have been hearing from everyone that I happen to know that has gone to war in Iraq that you can actually hear the camel spiders around your tent as the crawl or walk. Is this true?
I live in CA and we have little camel spiders the size on 2 inches and they are not hairy just freaky looking.
I just found one under my cats toy! I thought it was one of those plastic toy things until it moved! Wow they can move fast! I will try to upload the pics for you! I live in Idaho, how are these things getting here much less surviving in our cold weather?????
I am a deployed soldier in iraq just had my first major camel spider encounter the darn thing was at least eight inches long in actual body length and moved alot faster than you would think possible. a number of guys in my unit have been bitten by them one actually got bitten on his butt and i can confirm that while their bites are not poisoned they hurt like all heck if you can imagine those four mandibles being jammed into your skin yeah…. The one i saw was literally less than 2 feet away from me when my buddy saw it. You dont want this as a pet believe me! Count yourself lucky if you never see one.
We had one of these by our front doorway last weekend hiding in the corner. We live in Morongo Valley area CA. Spraying raid on it killed it almost instantly, but it tried to run away so fast at first! Definitely a creepy creature!
i live in Stanislaus county in CA and i go to sac state and i was told by a professor that camel spiders are known as wind spiders here in the U.S. they are smaller and do not grow to the size of its cuzin the camel spider…BUT BEWARE THEY DO BITE he also told me that the are very aggressive in the wild they will run off rats and predators because they wont stop coming beware ive found them all over the place here
I think I just killed one – took three stomps with my flip flopps – sucker was fast – only about 2 in long and tan – came across the bottom step at night – do they eat kissing bugs? I am living in creepsville arizona – between the pack rats, kissing bugs, mice, and other normal desert things like snakes, mt lions, and havalinas – I am starting to see things crawling at night that are not there. Got this carpet that is brown and black – oh great – can’t tell if it is the berber or a bug. I’m a survivor – will get this under my belt soon. Menapause has me up all night anyway – might as well be creeped out while I am just sitting here.
I found a camel spider in my garage and then another in my house by the door of the garage. I did not know what kind of spider it was but after I found out I was terrified. I have a newborn child and I do not want anything to happen to him. After reading up some more information on these so called spiders I am not as scared as before but these little things are very ugly and I DO NOT like bugs!
Howdy, I’m in Iraq right now, and a bunch of us have encountered many camel spiders. A lot of the myths aren’t true, but they do get very large, some do look the size of a frisbee when their legs are extended. There are MANY cases of fellow Marines being bitten by them while sleeping, one Marine was bit repeatedly for about three nights in a row in the same area before they killed the thing. And it was, without a doubt a camel spider. And yes people, they do jump. I don’t care what research says, I’ve seen them jump, and they jump pretty high.
Maybe not three feet high, but I’ve seen them jump at least a foot and a half. We catch them in our birthing spaces around here all the time. In fact, last night we caught one and put it in a box with a scorpion. They fought for a while, the scorpion was the victor. Do the run with humvees, I highly doubt it. they don’t run 30mph either, maybe about 10. They are fast though, that’s no doubt. Do the inject venom, I don’t know, but people I know that have been bitten IN THEIR SLEEP didn’t have a clue until they woke up the next morning.
So, are they dangerous, I would say yes. I will continue to catch them and force them to battle it out though, it is entertaining. Don’t really care to hear thoughts on the forcing of the pseudo spiders to pit fight, its going to continue whether or not you agree with it or not, so don’t waste your time or thoughts on a reply, I probably never will visit this site again anyways. Anyways, everything I mentioned is fact, that I have witnessed unless stated otherwise.
I have severed 3 tours to Iraq. First, Jim have you ever been to Iraq and really looked or are you one of these people that sit in a white coat in a A/C building doing studies and writing what you have not seen as facts. I think you should have gotten some facts from the real man and woman who have seen them. First do the math, fact the picture of the two spiders any one that looking at the picture can see and know that it is two spiders but you want people to believe that they can not be that big. In Iraq they did not use no speal camera and yes the picture is taken hold it away from his body, so there will be some effect of it looking larger, but have the picture studied and then see what size they are. There are some myths of camel spiders. if you want to find facts of these spiders and if they are dangerous check out there are more then likely Youtube of camel spider v.s. scorpion. One of the things soldier did to pass time in OIF 1-2.
My husband is in Iraq and he has close encounters every time hes out side his tent. One even chased him before. I don’t care what people say about these things they scare me.
My husband and I are based in Fort Irwin,CA and have seen a total of at least 5 of these guys. The first one we killed in the house was probably about the size of a half dollar, including it’s legs. We have seen and killed two others inside our house, one being a little larger than the first and the other about the same size as the first. My husband got a picture of one on his cell phone that was in our bathroom. Him and another guy in his troop just saw and killed one today at the shopette, somewhere outside near the bushes.
The largest I have seen, unfortunately, I didn’t take the opportunity to get a picture of. I was letting the dogs out into our yard sometime after midnight, my husband was working a midnight-noon shift, and my bigger dog saw something on the side of our house and chased it up the wall…all I saw was a caramel brown set of legs and a long body…this was the first one I had ever seen…it was about the size of my hand, including it’s legs.
let’s just say I got the dogs in, closed and locked the door and was somewhat paranoid for days after. I am deathly afraid of spiders so just imagine how horrified I was to see something like that,I didn’t want to leave the house, until we saw them inside, and then I knew I had to cope with the fact they were everywhere here…
Jesse, they usually live in the southwest US, but with all the building of houses they are migrating anywhere with a warm climate.
I just found one of these in northern California. I was surprised because i didn’t think they are know to live around here. I heard of a couple of other people finding them. they must have found there way here.
camel spiders are very calm unless you get them agitated, in the U.S. they are about 1 inch long. aulthough i specalize in jumping spiders and wolf spiders, i have had a few camel spiders, we call them sun spiders here. imy email is: vpkath@ yahoo.com
We live in Southern California the “High Desert” of San Bernadino County – at night only – we have caught three of these things on separate evenings running across the carpet. My kids were freaking out while yelling, “SCORPION!!” And I honestly thought that is what the darn thing was until I looked it up on the internet. They get to about 2 inches long. We also killed another one last night in the driveway after trapping it under a Tupperware dish.
The camel spider/wind scorpion whatever these ugly things are called gets into a defensive stance with the front two long feeler antennas. The move rapidly but a human can move faster so do not believe the hype. YUCK! The fact that we killed three inside the house means we need to call Terminix ASAP!
This is really helpful because I’m doing a research project right now on Iraq and this is one of their native animals.
I just killed a camel spider here in West Texas (not the same as the other west texans)… it crawled up in the controls of my stove, I turned on the oven thinking the heat from the vent would make it crawl back out, and it did… but it was kind of having heat stroke, lol. It convulsed around in circles and I tried to catch it in a bowl but I squished it… oops. Then I read that they eat termites… crap! We have termites, I should have let him stay. It was only maybe an inch, legs and all.
sorry i live in southern california right by six flags magic mountain
for all of you that want one i have one that i caught last night. it is 2-3 inches long. i thought it was a scorpion till i researched something with ten legs and presto i found out that it was a sun spider a.k.a. camel spider. anyways i don’t want it and i don’t want to kill it so if anyone lives out here in santa clarita right by los angeles i will give it to you. i will check back on here if any one wants it. i fed it a cricket today and its like half gone
RAY
I have one that is and inch we have been keeping. We cought it after it bit some one in a convenace store. they are cool to watch and live quite well in captivity. Ours is in a covered tank. I will send pics.
i’m doing a report on them too!!! these are so cooool!
Camel Spiders are sick, I so want one. I’m also doning a speech on them. They’re like totally awesome. They’re like absolutly HUGE, but I still think they’re sick…
im a SEAL currently serving in iraq. i saw one of the little mongers last night, and did some research. All the images, etc. are myths. They arent that big, maybe about the size of my hand, and are NOT poisonous. They’ll leave a bite mark, a puncture wound, if you may, and thats about it.
Ill keep you guys informed if i get any other info
i think that the camal spiders look really cool if i showed my sibs they would be afraid of spiders more than they are now.
I have 2 DEAD camel spiders of small size i’d be willing to get rid of! I killed them this morning in my home in Florida!
OMG those thing are disscusting
i live in West Texas & found this guy in the kitchen of my dorm. Thanks to this site i found out what it actually is. It was far too difficult too describe, but I’m glad I know its harmless.
I am in Iraq right now. I saw one of these buggers tonight. About 2 inches long, still freaky looking though. When I was in Kuwait 10 years ago there were a lot, but this is the first one I have seen in Iraq.
geeeeezzzz you people are crazy messing around with those over grown mutated spiders!!!!!!
i found on in my cousins room and i am feeding it, and its barely an inch.
All you peeple who want one of those are crazy. tarantula’s are fine but that thing is just SCARY
Camel spiders don’t release a numbing agent into you so that they can eat you. If they bite you you will feel it. Also the spiders in the picture at the top of the page are made to look much bigger then they actually are… and theirs to of them there. They only get to be 6-8 inches long
im doing a report on this spider…. the camel spider && i think its so weird! this stupid spider only attacks 4 self defense which it should attack 4 fun ! want a stupid spider
We live in South Texas. My son almost stepped on a camel spider the other night. He put a cup over it to show us the next morning. At first I thought it was a Tarantula, but my husband disagreed right from the start because it has no hair. So I did a search and am glad I found some information about this spider, which actually saved his life!!! This one is about 2 Inches long and sitting here next to me in a jar. I brought it to work this morning so I can show it to my boss
I’m gonna take it back home and release it so it can kill scorpions. I wish I knew how to attach a picture here.
I think camel spiders are cool and i want to get one just to make my girlfriend mad.
I didn’t read carefully enough – you debunk the Camel Spider myths after stating them, and at first glance it appeared you were perpetuating the myths. Sorry, my bad. You might ID them clearly as myths instead of stating them as if they are fact first, for the benefit of idiots like me.
they are so big they are the size of my body and im only 12 they run 40mpr
Personally I think that camel spider might be feral.
My mother is fighting overseas and sent me a letter saying how many people are terrified of these screaming 10 legged pests.
she saw, like, an army of those buggers and went for her M16
screaming and gunshots cool…
OMG!!!!!!! camel spiders are sooo darn gross looking, but yet soo cool i wanna see one but i don’t want to touch one!!!!!
hey does any body know any good sell lines for camel spiders or if you can keep them as pets
dude those camel spider are freakin awesome man i wouldn’t want one as a pet but they are pretty cool