Comments on: Camel Spider

By: Peejay

Peejay — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:07:04 +0000

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

By: Peejay

Peejay — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:44:20 +0000

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.

By: quincy

quincy — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:05:43 +0000

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?

By: Xavier

Xavier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:41:59 +0000

Awesome! There is only one speices in South America that has venom, and nobody knows if it can inject it or not.

By: Nasa

Nasa — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:45:43 +0000

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!

By: cayla

cayla — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:53:36 +0000

That is freakin “HUGE” and ugly!!!!!!

By: H/D

H/D — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:31:02 +0000

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.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:07:05 +0000

We have these freaks of nature here in Utah….EVERYWERE!
Theyre my biggest fear!

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:56:35 +0000

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.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:54:43 +0000

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.