The Camel spider

There has been much hype and media attention concerning the Camel spider for many years now ….

Since the Gulf war in 1991, most of it coming from from the antennas of certain News channels that are nothing but omni- directional sludge pumps. The Media are experts in BS, and if they didn’t BS they would be mutes! The media have brought much misunderstanding over the years to many wonderful animals we share this planet with such as snakes, spiders, sharks etc and are probably the best source of useless information available, and the Camel spider is just another victim.

The media use these deceptive, underhanded methods of selling a story and to me the distribution of deliberate misinformation to create fear for the sake of selling a story should be looked into by the FCC in the US and here in Australia, the ACMA. Such deliberate misinformation by media is in my eyes makes the media “information terrorists” having said that lets move on, back to the Camel spider ….

The Camel spider is known by various names such as Sun spider, Wind scorpion, Iraqi camel spider, Desert camel spider, Jerrymanders, Egyptian giant solpugids, Red Romans, Beard cutter spiders and probably a few more names I have missed, lots of names containing the word “spider” can be seen for labeling the Camel spider but the fact is the Camel spider technically is not a spider at all.

So, what is a Camel spider?

An Unidentified solifugid, source

The Camel spider is known as a Solifugid or sometimes referred to as “false spiders” and this is where it becomes slightly complicated when describing the Camel spider taxa, sometimes taxonomists can have fun. Explained best I can is the Camel spider scientific classification which is set out as follows.

Scientific classification of a camel spider puts Camel spiders into the Kingdom- Animalia, Phylum- Arthropoda making them an arthropod (an arthropod being an animal with a segmented body and external skeleton) the Camel spider falls into the Class of- Arachnida of which there are over one hundred thousand different species which is made up of ticks, scorpions, spiders and Solifugae (camel spiders) the Camel spider Subclass is Dromopoda, Dromopoda being a subclass of arachnids which include Opiliones, opiliones are an order of arachnids that are commonly known as “harvestmen” they then have suborders and it go’s on and on, lastly the Camel spider Order is- Solifugae, solifugae are Camel spiders, or solifuges of which there are around 1,000 different described species.

A camel spider and scorpion do battle

Where do Camel spiders live?

Camel spiders live in a wide variety of habitats from deserts to grassland, scrub or forest, to semi-desert, which includes the desert regions of the Middle East as well as Southwest Asia, anywhere it is warm, Solifugae (Camel spider) can be found in all continents with exception to Antarctica and Australia.

Below is what would usually happen if you had 2 Camel spiders in a confined space with no means of avoiding each other, the Camel spider fight.

Camel spider video

Apparently Camel spider fights were a popular pastime for troops in Egypt during WW1, British troops during WW2 stationed in Libya would stage fights between Solifugae and scorpions as a means of entertainment, it seems things have not changed as troops in Northern Iraq go for the same form of entertainment.

Camel spider pics, source wiki