A legendary story about the camel spiders spread during the 1990-1991 Gulf War wherein the spiders are said to have attacked the US soldiers. However, this seems not to be the tree intention of the spiders. The camel spiders were just merely finding for a shade to keep them out the sun and accidentally ran into shaded areas where the soldiers are taking refuge. There was also a myth that camel spiders can jump to about four feet high or even more. There were also stories that camel spiders eat the stomach of a camel to grow into very large sizes.
A camel spider is also known as a wind scorpion or an Egyptian giant solpugid. They are abundant in places with dry climates and were first found in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq. They can also be found in sandy areas of Mexico and the United States usually in the spring and summer only since they are afraid of the cold weather.
Size
The camel spider size is considered big. It can reach up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) in length. Although its size is not large enough to eat camel stomach or sleeping soldiers as the rumor says but it is still considered a very potent predator.
The camel spider size is large but this does not make them slow creatures. They are fast movers when compared to other arachnids.Their top speed can reach to about 10 miles or 16 kilometers per hour.
Identification
They have a brown complexion, hair legs and body. The male camel spider is smaller than the females but have longer legs.
Camel spiders are nocturnal creatures such that they hunt at night and hide from the sun during the day.
Venom
The bite of a camel spider is painful but the venom they discharge are not deadly enough to kill humans. However, this venom is enough to kill insects, lizards, rodents and even small birds.