# Camel Spiders
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [April 1, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706 "2003-04-01T14:40:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/1 "2003-04-01T14:40:51Z")
[Link](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcamelspider.html)
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> \*\*Completely harmless and beneficial \*\*critters, like the desert equivalent of a praying mantis
Tell that to the male mantis! :eek:
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/2 "2003-04-01T16:27:27Z")
So, what about the screaming?
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### Author:  [@salinasja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinasja)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/3 "2003-04-01T16:44:00Z")
Interesting bit of info in light of the middle eastern legend of the spider eating camel flesh. The literal translation of the spanish term matavenados is “kills deer.” An unexpected bit of cross cultural convergence.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/4 "2003-04-01T17:09:21Z")
When I saw the thread title I immediately imagined this weird spider-legged camekl creature, much like the “spider monkey” from **Sky Kids 2**.
What a great idea! Maybe we can recombinant DNA Engineer some. They could cross the desert at speeds of up to 10 mph on their eight legs, and can gain nutrition by eating the bellies of spiders!
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/5 "2003-04-01T17:11:34Z")
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> Tell that to the male mantis!
That’s a bit in doubt, **stofsky** : see [Does Mrs. Mantis bite Mr. Mantis’s head off during The Act?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_007.html)
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### Author:  [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/6 "2003-04-01T20:30:39Z")
“More often than not” is too much for my taste. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/7 "2003-04-01T23:51:43Z")
Compare and contrast.
Doug.
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> they have no venom whatsoever
And the CS Monitor.
[http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/kuwait/askQuestion\_archive.html](http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/kuwait/askQuestion_archive.html)
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> In terms of poisonous creatures, few remain on base as it has grown more crowded, says Staff Sgt. John Cogley, who works in the base’s pest control office. Outside the base perimeter, there are some dangerous lizards, snakes, scorpions, and camel spiders. A camel spider is a cross between a scorpion and a spider. It’s about the size of your fist and it has large fangs.
Notice the reporter didn’t come right out and _say_, “It’s venomous”, but he certainly implied it, eh?
And I liked this.
[http://www.af.mil/news/Jul2002/n20020726\_1187.shtml](http://www.af.mil/news/Jul2002/n20020726_1187.shtml)
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> Chemicals such as bug sprays are not recommended as they most likely will do nothing but make the spider angry, said officials.
Har. 😃
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/8 "2003-04-02T06:29:47Z")
Okay, I want a picture of this “cross between a scorpion and a spider”.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/9 "2003-04-02T06:49:42Z")
The article also left out the part about how dangerous the bite can be.
[Solifuges](http://www.tarantulaspiders.com/pages/solifugid.htm)
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> Bites: Solifuges are highly aggressive and will bite, so do NOT handle. 99% of them do not possess venom glands except Rhagodes nigracinctus of India. It does and has caused paralysis in lizards bitten. Most solifuges can easily penetrate the human skin with their massive chelicera, so the bite would be very painful and might get a bacterial infection.
This thread answers more questions than the article
[Hell hath no fury like a Camel Spider?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93946&highlight=solifugid)
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### Author:  [@El\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Bo)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camel-spiders/165706/10 "2003-04-03T15:04:32Z")
The little monsters down here in Southern California can make a noise by rubbing together their serrated, beak-like jaws. I caught one in a jar once and you could hear the grating through the glass. Man was that thing pissed!