How fast camel spider

Besides the immediate applications of lessons from nature, understanding the natural world and our fellow inhabitants of this planet like the Solifugae could be vital in informing our actions. It is knowledge that could unveil the delicate balance that holds our world together, and reveal actions that could either pull us back from the brink of an ecological catastrophe, or give us a not-so-gentle nudge over the edge. He can be seen at times playing the blues for his eight-legged audiences.

RoundGlass RoundGlass Sustain. Paper boats of the desert What has a hump, lives in the desert, and has eight legs?

A camel spider emerges out of a burrow shortly after a burst of rain. The fuel guzzling Ferrari of the Kalahari Camel spiders feel the need, the need for speed. Captain long-jaw slither Among the many differences between true spiders and camel spiders is the inability of the latter to generate silk or venom. Rumour has it! Lessons from nature The myths and legends that surround the camel spider are a testament to how little we understand them.

Samuel John is an ex-corporate zombie who found the answers to life, the universe, and everything, on a spider's web. Share this story. Related Stories for You. Nicobar treeshrew , Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Singalila , West Bengal. Take the camel spider — many Americans are familiar with them based on photos that came out of the Iraq War in the early s: a giant desert spider with a leg span somewhere between the size of a pack of cigarettes and a full-grown man's calf this turned out to be a trick of forced perspective.

There were rumors they ran through the desert screaming and jumping on camels, that they would hide in ambush in sleeping bags, ready to inject you with venom. But U. In North Africa and the Middle East, legend has it camel spiders nip at the bellies of camels until their intestines fall out so they can eat them or that they lay eggs in their stomachs.

None of these camel spider myths are true, of course. For starters, camel spiders are not spiders at all, but solifugids aka sun spiders or wind scorpions. These arachnids live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia; in America you'll find them in the Southwestern United States. All 1, species have eight legs and two body sections like spiders, scorpions , pseudoscorpions, ticks and mites, but they're different enough to belong to their own order.

Moreover, camel spiders are aggressive, but they're also nonvenomous, meaning they don't have venom glands either. The large jaws of most species can't even break through human skin, much less a camel's belly.

The largest camel spider has a leg span of around 6 to 8 inches 15 to 20 centimeters , which is big for a spider, but it's not horror movie territory, and they seem to take little to no observable interest in human hair.

Myth: "Camel spiders" in Iraq are a foot long, lay eggs under camels' skin, and run 25 miles per hour screaming like a banshee. Spider Myths "Everything that 'everybody knows' about spiders is wrong! Then, in follow-up messages, the wild claims started to pile up! They call them camel spiders because they eat the stomachs of camels. They attach themselves to the under belly of camels and lay eggs under the skin.

They can traverse desert sand at speeds up to 25 miles per hour, making screaming noises as they run. They can jump 4 to 6 feet straight up in the air. They will chase you down like a hungry lion. If they bite you, the flesh and muscle fall off, leaving a hole. They are venomous, and their venom contains a powerful anesthetic that numbs their victims thus allowing them to gnaw away at living, immobilized animals without being noticed.

This builds on a previous myth that spread during the Gulf War. Spider Myth Resources. Learn More. These hardy desert dwellers boast large, powerful jaws, which can be up to one-third of their body length.

They use them to seize their victims and turn them to pulp with a chopping or sawing motion. Camel spiders are not venomous, but they do utilize digestive fluids to liquefy their victims' flesh, making it easy to suck the remains into their stomachs.

All rights reserved. Common Name: Camel Spider. Scientific Name: Galeodes arabs. Type: Invertebrates. Diet: Carnivore. Size: 6 inches. Weight: 2 ounces. Size relative to a teacup:. Not evaluated. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Unknown.