What is a Camel Spider?
An entomologist named Christy Bill once said that the camel spiders are not exactly the spiders but are arachnids and are the little critters. These spiders are accompanied by several stories regarding the camel eating, chasing the people across the desert and deadly bites. However, whether you show interest in the arachnids or you prefer not to see them, the Solifugae or the camel spiders are strongly intimidating. The camel spiders are also popular by the name of sun spiders and wind scorpions. However, anything which can be called as a spider or else one scorpion is mandatory to look a little off-putting, and the multiple legs, long body and the large fangs Solifugae made it well-recognized. In fact, the Solifugae are neither the original true spiders nor the exact scorpions. However, in contrast to the scorpions, these kind of spiders have no tail. Furthermore, not like the spiders, the camel spiders never belong to the order Araneaes. The camel spiders always vary in size and their body lengths varies in between two to three inches. However, they have multiple number of legs and those legs can be several inches long, which make the particular insect look comparatively larger. Apart from that, the camel spiders have what necessary to be a fifth set of legs, which called pedipalps which works exactly like an antennae. Rather than using the pedipalps for walking, the camel spiders do aid in the locomotion as it is helpful in detecting the food as well as obstacles. Moreover, the camel spiders are commonly associated to the Middle Eastern deserts and it is all due to the popular chain letters which began circulating during the Iraq war and the Persian Gulf War. Surprisingly, the camel spiders always possess the capability of having a much wider habitat than the people would care to imagine about.
Discussing about the classification or taxonomy of the camel spiders, they belong to the class of Arachnida. However, not all the arachnids are spiders and not all spiders are the arachnids. According to the research of the National Science Foundation, the camel spiders are the Solifugae, which explains “those who flee from the sun”. As opined by the Integrated Taxonomic information system (ITIS) the taxonomy of the camel spider can be;
Kingdom: Animalia
Infrakingdom: Protostomia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Order: Solifugae
Class: Arachnida
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Super phylum: Ecdysozoa
Where do a camel spider live?
The camel spiders generally found in the deserts of the Middle East but these spiders are also found in several other deserts as well. The camel spiders are also found in the deserts of the South western area such as Mexico and United States. Moreover, these spiders can be found in anywhere in the earth apart from Antarctica and Australia. However, absence of the camel spiders in Antarctica is obvious, but the due to some of the unfavourable conditions in the Australia, these spiders are hard to find there. Furthermore, it is difficult to say that observing and identifying the Solifugae in the wild is a little difficult, and they cannot survive well in captivity. The above fact makes the camel spiders exceedingly hard to study. Moreover, the camel spiders usually prefer the desert biomes, but they can also found in several things from forest to scrub. As there are around 1100 subspecies of the Solifugae, but depending upon the environmental factors, their living places as well as food always vary. According to the researches performed by the National science Foundation, the camel spiders are vitally nocturnal and flee from the sun.
What Do Camel Spiders Eat?
As per the findings, the camel spiders are the omnivorous and carnivorous. Unlike several other similar creatures, the camel spiders do not just spin the webs and wait for the prey to come to them. Rather, the Solifugids or the camel spiders are the hunters. They run with a speed approximately 10 miles per hour. In contrast to the other spiders the camel spiders breath with the help of a trachea that is helpful in taking the oxygen in a comparatively faster way and help the camel spiders move quickly. Moreover, the camel spiders eat different kind of bugs, rodents, lizards and even the small birds. Despite of having a frightening reputation and appearances, they imply negligible threats to the human beings. The camel spiders always use their chelicerae (one scientific name for the jaws of the arthropod group of Chelicerata), for cutting into the prey. The chelicerae functions of the camel spiders are almost same as a crab’s pincer, which allows the camel spiders for doing many things, starting from shearing the feather to cutting through the bone. However, it is important to identify that, while strong and fast, the camel spiders vitally hunt for the food that are a bit larger than they are. The camel spiders do not have any kind of venom. Despite of giving painful bites, the camel spiders are not equipped for consuming strong as well as large prey including the human and camels.
Common myths about camel spider
As per the information provided by the National geographic, the camel spiders gained major notoriety in west during the Gulf War, around the early 1990s. After the invading of the United States in Iraq in the year 2003, the fame of the camel spiders grew and became the internet sensation at that time. Though, these spiders have become infamous, there exist several myths associated to the camel spiders. The myths are as follows;
The camel spiders run after human beings: there is a saying about the camel spiders is that, they do not want you, rather they want your shade. As per the findings of the National Science Foundations, the camel spider will chase the person’s shadow, once the person starts running. However, if anyone stands still, the camel spiders will surely enjoys the cool. Though the camel spiders do not love the sun light and avoid the same; yet they enjoy the light at night and even run towards it.
Camel spiders scream a lot: Though majority of the spices may hiss for showing the defensive behaviour; yet the majority makes no sound.
Camel spiders are huge in size: In contrast to the other spiders, camel spiders are not that small; yet their body size remain limited to two to three inches in addition to several inches of long legs. However, many existing photos of this particular creature make the same look like as huge as like one foot length.
Camel spiders are named so because they can eat camels: According to the identifications of the urban legends, unlike the other spiders, the camel spiders are more frightening spiders which can jump as well as grab the camel’s body, especially belly, eat chunks from the camel’s body as well as inject the venom into their bodies. However, this horrific story of eating camels might spread by the people in the deserts.
Camel spiders can run and jump up to 30 mph and 3 feet respectively: The above statement surely not true. As per the researches, the camel spiders can run in an approximate speed about 10 mph or 16 kph. However, no significant jumping of the camel spider has been noticed.
Camel spiders, while sleeping can eat or else chew on people: In addition to this particular myth, another myth also exist regarding the camel spiders that, their venoms can numb the area and they cannot even feel the feel the bite. However, the fact is that the camel spiders are not that venomous. Though their bites are more painful; yet they are not significantly deadly to humans.
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