Camel spider bites are not life-threatening but can cause painful wounds and infection. The solpugid, often called a camel spider, is not venomous and mainly eats insects and small lizards. Sensational stories about their behavior are largely myths.
A camel spider bite is not directly life threatening to humans. The bite can, however, be painful and leave a ferocious-looking wound. The biggest risk associated with a bite is infection. Seeing a doctor is recommended if the appearance of an injury gets worse over time.
The creature known as a “camel spider” isn’t actually a spider, nor is it a scorpion. It is a different but related type of arachnid called a solpugid. Its habitat is the desert terrain of the Middle East, parts of Africa and the southwestern United States. The camel spider has been called many other names, including sun spider, wind spider, and wind scorpion.
Camel spiders’ fear stems largely from their large chelicerae, the fang-like appendages near their mouths that are used to grasp and chew their food. These sharp chelicerae are why solpugids are also known as “beard clippers.” Although solpugids are not venomous, their chelicerae can penetrate human skin. In most cases, a camel spider usually only bites if it feels threatened.
Like any puncture wound, infection from a camel spider bite is possible if bacteria gets into the broken skin. However, only 9% of spider bites of any kind result in bacterial infections. It is important to clean any affected tissue properly to prevent disease.
Sensational stories about camel spider bites have flourished since 2003, with the presence of US troops in the Middle East during the Iraq conflict. A photograph showing a soldier holding a giant camel spider has been circulating on the Internet. In fact, the image was actually of two camel spiders connected to each other. Other photographs purported to show a camel spider bite swollen and oozing blood. Those bite injuries were likely caused by more dangerous venomous spiders; there are no indications that they were caused by a camel spider bite.
Myths have blamed camel spiders for preying on cats and dogs. There are also stories of solpugids eating the stomachs of camels. One rumor even suggests that these arachnids can run at 30 miles per hour (48.2 km/h), chase people and attack them.
In fact, camel spiders are actually relatively small. Their diet consists mainly of insects, scorpions and small lizards. They move quickly, at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), but are not aggressive towards humans.
The word solpugid means “those who flee from the sun”. The name refers to the fact that the camel spider tries to escape the sunlight. Runs in the shadows cast by people as they walk. Witnesses who observed this behavior may have misinterpreted it as assault.
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