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).
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.
This 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.
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
Hello i am hear to tell you the facts of camel spiders for they live in my village just south of bagdad they can run from 10 to 14mpg they can get from 8 to 15inches in diameter I have treated many people who have been mauled and attacked by camel spiders and they can eat the fatty corpusle of your skin they do not eat underneath the skin(most of the time) and there are a spider not to be trifled with they get there names for eating the stomachs of camels not while they live!! but after they die they crawl inside and lay there eggs so when the babies are born they can eat the inside of the camel I have seen american soldiers fight them against scorpians and only afew times have I seen the camel spider win if you are attacked by a camel knock it off or yell yell only if it completely paralyzed you I have had a patient who was attacked by three of them and they jumped on his chest bit him and he had to scream for a little vige boy came with a broom and knocked the spider off his parylyzed bodie. thankyou for your time and remember be careful around camel spiders dont try to catch them alone and its stupid to fight them against other creatures.
i also doing a report on camel spiders and im terrified of spiders, but those things are soooo wicked man
Are they venomous ?
Can they spin a webs like REAL spidres ?
I’m in the guard and these spiders freak me out my brother told me about these things hes in the core
I’m doing research on the camel spider and this page really helped a lot! I got some very good information, so thanks!
Wow camel spider’s are crazy! Why would you want one as
a pet?
Me and my father were feeding my snake and we saw a camel spider we were freaked out cause we didn’t know what it was we thought we found a new species or somthing
my older brother was in iraq and a camel spider went for him so he squished it
Um yea, I’m a PFC in the U.S. Army and these camel spider things are just a fake myth made up to make Iraq seem like a even more dreadful place then it is. Yea it’s true that you can see marines and soldiers having fights with camel spiders and scorpions on youtube, and in all truth, camel spiders are a little bit smaller than your hand. In all truth their not even a spider and you are more likely to be hit by an I.E.D. than you are to be bit by one of these suckers; in fact I do not know anyone who has ever heard of a camel spider biting.
I completely agree with the writer. The first time I saw a camel spider was when I was 10 years old. They can move as fast as I run back then. Unlike public belief they are not nasty killer spiders, as a matter of fact I used to play the shadow game with them when I was a kid.
I heard they feed on scorpion but never saw one do it. However, in the north western Iraqi desert both animals are known to be abundant.
Used to catch these when I lived in Turkey. One bit my mother on the toe when it was hiding in the couch. It makes 4 rather large holes but it is cool to watch it eat things. Wicked nasty bug!!
I think the reason why people get huge wounds from the bites is possibly because the spider’s fangs are dirty.It eats insects and they all carry some kind of parasites.
i think i would injoy having one of these because they are interesting.Some of them look so nasty.I dont believe that they do have 10 legs
Man I’m not usally scared of spiders but since reciving the email and pics of the two Camel spiders from a family member (the bottom spider is eating the top one) Even though I worked out that it was a trick to make them appear bigger I’m still scared, my email also said that they inject novocaine and may gnaw at you all night, along with chase your shadow screaming, run at 15mph and can jump 1metre. It’s enough to make me think twice about signing up with the Australian Army. True or not, I most surely wouldn’t want 1as a pet.
I dont know much about spiders but I am deadly afraid of them!!!
while hangin out with my friend Fawn I saw a camel spider, we were cutting roots with scissors and the spider was hiding in the corner next to me! I didnt see it and reached over to grab some more roots then before I could see it Fawn grabbed me and pulled me back, at first I though it was a scorpion then I realized it wasnt we ran inside to get my mom and her boyfriend Fred.
He told us it was a brown spider common in Yuma,Az where we live he stepped on it and we thought nothing of it, but today when I got on the computer and looked it up I reallized it was a Camel Spider! My mom was fretting when we found about if it was a camel spider but Fred said no they werent found here. The couldent see the spider well from where they were standing so they didnt know what it really looked like.
Please Help! Should we be worried about more? I know im not a genius when it comes to spiders but I am sure it was a camel spider!
How did it get here???
please if you know email grizzlygirl89@yahoo.com!
Your help is apprecieated!
camal spiders arent poisenes they only eat flesh
god i hate camel siders they make me so scaredL(
its ugly!!!
ok id think twice before geting camle sp[ider its extreamly dangerous so yeah you could wind up hurt ask anyone whos lived in bagdad some of our U.S. trops found them in there sleepingbags they are very dangerous so please think twice
yeah think twice or else
i have alot of diff. spiders and my largest is bird eater about 12” wide eats sm.rats every 3 mnths.i would love to have a camel spider so if anyone knows of any way i can get one i would like to have one.thanks
U guys y would u want a spider that size anyway?
Living in Australia and having 8 out of the top ten deadly snakes and 4 of the deadliest spiders in the world, it’s amusing what people will say and believe to get a reaction – a little like the old “chinese whispers” game……..
that is the biggest spider i have ever seen wow!
Don’t camel spiders only bite for defense? If you tied them up for atleast an hour and then let them go would they bite you? If you did nothing would they still bite you? The reason why I asked that question is because I had a nightmare that there was a camel spider in my house and it was chasing me and I got on a chair and it came on the table and rapped it’s leg around me and almost bit me, but I flung it off before it could bite me. Don’t camel spiders only live in Iraq? If they do I feel bad for Barack Obama because he’s going to go to Iraq and I feel so bad for him.
From,
Victoria
Please respond at vicaloons@ yahoo.com
Camel Spiders not dangerous???
If I saw one of those guys come flying at me, I’d drown I HATE spiders! I HATE anything that looks like a spider. When I lived on a farm many years ago, a giant huntsman spider blocked the exit from my room and I couldn’t bring myself to duck under it… so I reached into the cupboard, pulled out my 4-10 baby shotgun and blew the thing away… It also killed 2 walls, a ceiling and some iron roofing – but that learned it.
thats so awsome dude amazing late
man i have read up on these things omg i will totally freak if i see one. ok thanks for the info
they are so cool my bro went to iraq and ha s a photo of him holding a dead one
If you want a camel spider as a pet you are not to smart and I have no sympathy if you get bitten so don’t come crying about it later. Camel Spiders are NOT your friends, they are not like a puppy and will not differentiate you from it’s food. So be careful in the middle of the night because it’s numbing and you won’t know that it’s been chewing on you all night until you wake up and find skin and tissue missing. If you want a cuddly pet get a dog or a cat instead of being an idiot. Military personal wouldn’t be afraid of them for nothing. By the way this is coming from a woman who is in the military, please take my word for it!
I live in the Black Forest area of Colorado Springs, Colorado. My wife uncovered a Camel Spider in our garage the other day. I did not realize what it was and never seen one before. I thought it was a spider. I did not kill it because I am a big spider fan. Should I have killed it? I know that they are being listed as an invasive species. Where would be the best places to look for these critters? I want to know what are they doing to the eco systems? What do they eat, where do they nest etc….Thanx for your help!
Unfortunately camel spiders cant be sent in the mail from iraq or anywhere here in the middle east. Customs would go berserk on you for even trying to send one. Ive been here 5 months already and havent seen one. As for using them for target practice thats really unlikely. Rules of Engagement are really strict here and if you shot one or missed for practice and it killed someone else youd be in a world of hurt. Plus the military is really strict on usage of rounds and all that. I have to count my rounds after every convoy I go on. Sorry I didnt have much info on camel spiders but I wanted to dispel a little bit about what we as soldiers do here in Iraq and the middle east as a whole.
People are freaking out about these things if you look at it on youtube.I would want one to look at but I’d freak out if it were alive.:D
k. so you guy’s want camal spiders, big deal! they’re just solifugae. there’s nothing cool other then they’ll chase your shadow for shelter and can run fast.
camal spiders aren’t spiders! they’re of the same family as spiders and scorpions, but are neither. they have their own little group in the arachnid familly. they have their own name as stated above in my blog(solifgae). camal spiders are hard to take care of and need room to move or they’ll go crazy.
I have known three people that were bitten and died… never play with these creatures… I kill them every time I see them… they are called “Matavenados” (Deerkillers) in spanish… never leave them alive…!!!
Are there any recipies calling for Camel-Spiders?
We have quite a few of these in Southeastern Arizona. Sure they run fast, but never at people. Never heard of a dog or cat bitten by one much less a human.
I am in the Army, and i will be sent to Iraq soon. This information is helpful.
hi those camel spidere are crazy to why would you wanted one as a pet?
Medy #49,
I’m currently in Afghanistan and see camel spiders all the time. They aren’t poisonous, a little aggressive when they feel threatened, but practically harmless. The substance tha dissolves flesh is actually called hemotoxin and contains enzymes that dissolve tissue. Rattlesnakes and certain species of spider, like the brown recluse, carry this venom. The camel spider does not.
I live in West Texas ( Big Bend) area and yes, they are here! The largest I’ve seen here is about 4″ long. They really are disgusting!! We have to worry about everything from a rattlesnake to scorpions, centipedes, (which my neighbor just found in her backyard this evening) all the way to camel spiders. We see Camel Spiders just about every day..anyone interested (seriously interested) my husband can find out the details of shipping these critters and possibly get them to you…I’ll check this again soon to see if n e one’s interested.
-Loree
I have a pet camel spider. 3rd one I have found in about a month at my house in Fernley, NV. First one was very small. A wolf spider ended up eating it. The second one I still have. About an inch long. The third one, one of my huskies stepped on on my front patio.
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Wow those spiders look and sound fun to shoot at but they look creepy and i dont know why any one would like on of these for a pet just imagine it escaped and left your house to make a nest a lay eggs. Then they will over populate your area and then start to spreed to diffrent areas that will suck really bad. 🙁
the camel spider looks more like a scorpion
If it annoys you, when a sun spider follows your shade, don’t try to get rid of it by passing a group of rocks, hoping it trades shades.
Chances are a whole bunch of them is hiding underneath those rocks, waiting for the next bus.
Best thing to do is briefly socialize with one of your mates, preferably a chubby one.
camel spiders ewww
we caught a camel spider n flashbanged it, it went crazy man
hey geuss what for all u people who want a camel spider i caught one in rio rancho,new mexico about the size of a fifty cent piece this little thing is creepy lookin hahaha
Hey Guys!!!!!!!!!! Do nto be fooled because there are Camel Spiders int the USA in North Carolina…My son found one about 12 years ago. They have either migrated to the USa or come in a shipment from overseas. They do like the shade and I am glad he did not get bit!
I own a pet camel spider he is ugly! But for some reason he does not bite me! I put him on my hand all the time and he acts so sweet!
He just crawls around my hands and he dosent even run! Hes a real cutie i named him Critter.
i just found a dead one in my slipper earlier, and i was just bitten about ten minutes ago by a 2 1/2 inch one that was hiding in the bag i use for chainmail rings, that really stung, they arent just in the southwest, they reach up to way north colorado
well we just founf a camel spider in our house. we live in sw idaho. it was in the kitchen. my son went in the kitchen and the next thing you know he comes running out and said a spider just tried to attack him. he said the spider jumped about 12 to 18 inces off the floor and came at him. we captured the spider and resurched the net and discovered it to be a camel spider. not sure what we will do with it yet.
Hey all! Camel spiders aren’t that hard to find. I live in Wyoming and found one in my bedroom the other night. I have been keeping it in a jar and feeding it other spiders and bugs that infest my house. Its pretty handy. They do have huge beak-like pinchers and its pretty sweet to watch them eat! No one should be scared of them. They are harmless!
Alright… So not to be the one that rains on everybodies parade here.. But I am slightly concerned about the kids on here who claim to want a wind scorpion as a pet.. It’s not the pet that worries me.. Not even the children/people asking for one… It’s more the people who are offering to send you one. The names and stories they tell sound a little funny… I have a really bad feeling about a few of them… They sound “suspicios”. I have had a bad experience, personally, with online predators… I would just suggest that these kids be very VERY cautious as to who they are chatting with in attempt to obtain a camel spider. In order for them to send you one.. expecially a LIVE one.. It is nearly impossible.
I do not know any postal service worker who would in their right mind after hearing all the stories whether they be true or false.. Or even one who has no idea what type of spider it is… They would not willingly deliver… And in the case that they have no idea what they are delivering.. There would be no way for the arachnid to breathe… Not would they really take into consideration the “fragile” sticker on the package unless it were specifically delivered as a living thing. Your best bet in getting one of these creatures is to NOT give out an address to anyone over the internet.. Including websites.. And to discuss how to get one from someone in the military that you know on a personal level.. If you have no direct friends/family members in the military.. I’m sure you can find SOMEONE who does.. Why would anyone seriously send you a camel spider? It would be dead before you receive it.. Or lost in the post office and I’m sure someone will get blamed for endangerment… They are already in the U.S… wait for vacation and suggest one of their current more local habitats.
I can only imagine the only way one of these would be able to survive a journy by mail would be already dead… Or as an egg… But if any of you do decide to give out your address to a stranger over the internet.. Good luck with getting your spider, and I hope fate guides you in a positive direction…
camel spiders are so ugly..!
can they seriusly get really really big..?
i hate that people have to stay around something like that
in iraq..! so i really hate them..! they are huge and the bites look really painful..!
I found a camel spider. I am going to keep it. But i dont know what to feed it. but my brother and I put a cocaroach in the cage and after a couple of days i look and the roach which had died and the butt was torn off of it and it was empty inside. But i dont know if it had just rotted away or the spider did that because I cant find anywhere that is says they eat cocaroaches. If anyone sees this comment and knows the answer please email me at jtlmonkeyboy @ gmail.com Thank you
so they dont have poison because i have seen them in my house at night and i saw 3 tonight, should i do something?
i think these creatures are very prehistoric looking. here in california (and not in the desert) we have what are called “potato bugs”. not the little black bugs that roll up when you touch them. no, these potato bugs are almost the same thing as the camel spider. only smaller. but seem to be just as mean.
i catch the potato bugs here and put them in jars and feed other bugs to them. it’s like national geographic right here in my own house. as for the camel spider and the potato bugs (and anything like them), i do not think everything evolved from the prehistoric times. like aligators i think some things just stayed.
Found one in my home in Las Vegas. The Iraqi invasion has begun!
I found a camel spider where I work and if anyone is interested in buying it email me at vestrada1026@yahoo. com.
I have a spider , but don’t know what kind?
It is brown , and a creamy white . It is also a femal and it is
pregnet . it is also so small . Exapt the but .
but spiders are gross so gross . I need to find
out what kind it is .
kallie
I hear a camel spider on a stick is gooood eat’s too!
well im in the army stationed at ft bliss and it just so happens that last night my wife got scared while capturing a camel spider wow now in elpaso wondering if they are native to this area
hiii
well i just have to say this….i think spiders are kwl but only when thay are not on me….thats a different story
i have been bite by a spider 4 times but not by a camel spider i would be lucky lol
na i was bite by a black widow :O
it was nasty neally died
andway cnt spell the other spiders name lmao to hard
yh but when ppl say aww i love spiders good on ya but u still dnt know how it feels being bite by one it will change ya life
bye lizzy
XxX
I caught this camel spider following me last night while I was on guard patrol in Tucson Arizona, it was about 4 inches long! I have attached a picture below:
Good god thats a big spider. Those types are the exact reason why I’m not going to Iraq. God bless America, which is where I’m staying
I am interested in having one of these as a pet. I have a Vietnamese Centipede and a Goliath Bird Eater tarantula, and I’m looking for something a bit meaner. If anyone in Iraq is willing to send me a live Camel Spider, I’d really appreciate that. I’ll pay for it + S&H if needed. I’ll check this page often for replies 🙂 Or if anyone can, please e-mail me @ vietslikz at sbcglobal.net Thank you.
I am a little confused with the camel spider information. The stories say that the spiders have a soothing numbing agent that they inject into its victims so that no pain will be felt when they start to eat your flesh, tissue etc… Is that true? Do they have a numbing agent?
Also obviously any spider bite should be treated or it could get worse, but how often do these spiders bite a human and its deadly? Is it capable for them to bring down a beast like a camel or a horse?
Thanks so much for your information and help!
I live in Joshua Tree California, and we’ve been finding these things in our house like crazy. First we’d just see little tiny ones, but now we’re finding some that have bodies fatter than my pinky.
We currently have 2 in a cage with 2 scorpions and a cricket! I guess we’ll have to wait and see who’s still alive in the morning. These things scare the crap out of me but my husband is fascinated with them and just keeps putting them in jars! Ha!
They might not get as big out here as they get in Iraq but they’re big enough to give you the creeps when you turn around and it’s just staring at you with its big pinchers!! Ew!
Hi All,
I am insects collector from Pakistan, during my collection trip in May I collected many camel spiders, any researchers want these just let me know.
I wouldnt want one as a pet, but i wouldnt mind seeing one up close. God bless our troops!!!
I would be willing to waste a lot of expensive ammo shooting at a camel spider chasing me.
I don’t think they would survive well being kept as a pet. They live in the desert and hot areas for a reason. Plus you would have to feed it a lot.
Also, if they get out… I would be full auto shooting in the house, then drop a grenade and cart wheel out of the house just as it explodes to destroy any eggs it may have laid.
Well, my husband, a Marine who has done 3 tours to Iraq, says that they are not quite as big as in the famous picture, but almost!!
The ones in northern Iraq are relatively small compared to the ones in southern Iraq, which can be nearly as big as shown. He estimates the speed at about 10 mph, not 25 or 30 as often said.
He has many pictures of them, on floors and walls with people visible in the pictures. No tricks of perception were used and they were huge! No one he knows was bitten, but many were “chased” and the spiders often crawled over them all while they slept – he would often be woken up by the sensation of one scuttling across his feet or arm.
Unfortunately, because of the high number of Middle East deployments in the past five years, our base is crawling with them, because they hitch rides over in packs, equipment, and vehicles. I have seen two this week alone, one in the sand and one actually inside my work.
Although large for a spider (and we see plenty of tarantulas out here too, so I am used to large spiders!!), neither was as large as some of the pictures. But then, they may have been babies for all I know!!
Hi Folks
I’m one of the unlucky people who have been bitten by one of these spiders.
It was in Afghanistan last year April 07 while i was working at the airport in Kabul. I didn’t know it had bitten me until I felt some pain in my right leg behind the knee. On investigation i found that i had been bitten 9 times.
The Doctor gave me intravenous injections twice a day for seven days to kill the infection. As i was clearing land mines at the time i suppose its part of the job.
I’m now working in the nLebanon and have seen Camel Spiders here on two occasions. I have been left with some reasonable scars on my leg as a result of my meeting. I was wearing long pants at the time so it must have run up my leg while i was standing still.
Keep safe
Mark
When my son was in Iraq they used to dig holes in the ground, throw in a camel spider and a scorpion to fight to the death the spider usually won even when it was 2 on 1
we have a lot of them in our compound in Chad. And almost all of them were killed by us. So, yes, they are fast, but not fast enough for our feet.
I even found one of them in my bed, but happily enough before I went in myself. So after elimination the bed was all mine again.
Please people, this are just rapid moving, scary looking animals. But they aren’t more than that.
Hi my name is SPC Ace and I am currently out in the Laghram providence in Afghanistan. I must say this site really opened my eyes on the camel spider. I currently have one in a aquarium in my room at the barracks. He eats a lot and I am so glad that there is an abundant supply of Ants and other bugs to feed him.
comment #13, you’re a bit touched! Reread your post. What a genius.
I am a Marine out in Iraq for my 3rd time. I have a camel spider as a pet “ButterCup” When I found her she was not screaming for my blood I have held her in my hands with mech gloves and even let her walk on the back of my bare hands. She even loves to eat lizards, Beatles and everyone in my unit comes to check her out every time.
bob,
I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!
OK Medy, didn’t you read the information about the camel spider here? they are not venomous and they can’t do all that gaping hole stuff so take time and read it again!
Anyone that is bored and lives in the so cal area these spiders can be found all over the river beds in whittier
I used to find them at least once a month about the size of a Susan B Anthony dollar