| Many travelers to the Middle East, including military | | | | photographs on the internet. Camel spiders, |
| personnel assigned to Iraq and its vicinity, worry | | | | however, are actually not spiders at all. They are |
| about the threat of exotic creepy crawlies | | | | a different kind of anthropod called solipugids. |
| including spiders. While spiders are certainly not | | | | Contrary to the many exaggerated tales of |
| uncommon in the Middle East and bites do occur, | | | | camel spiders that have spread like wildfire, |
| most spiders are harmless and lack sufficient | | | | solipugids are not venomous. The tall tales also |
| venom to cause serious harm. | | | | exaggerate the speed of the camel spiders to be |
| Several varieties of the widow spider | | | | around 25 miles per hour, but their real maximum |
| (Latrodectus genus) are found in various places in | | | | speed is around 10 miles per hour. That is still |
| North Africa and the Middle East. Widows have | | | | pretty fast for such a small creatures, but not |
| long thin legs, and a dark body with a colored | | | | nearly fast enough to catch up with speeding |
| section. They are known to hide in trash and | | | | Humvees as the stories would have you believe. |
| other objects left outside overnight. You | | | | Their size has also been exaggerated widely, with |
| therefore need to take care when picking up | | | | some claiming them to have a 12 inch leg span, |
| trash bags and recepticles like cans and bottles. | | | | but their real size is less than 5 inches including leg |
| Widow bites are not immediately felt, but soon | | | | span. There is an infamous picture circulating the |
| become very painful and swollen, with shock, | | | | internet showing a camel spider being held in front |
| fever, nausea, increased blood pressure, | | | | of a camera by a group of soldiers. In this photo |
| headache, and difficulty breathing sometimes | | | | the solipugid is held very near the camera lense to |
| occurring. In most cases, symptons will subside | | | | give the appearance of a gigantic beast. |
| within a couple of days, but it is still important to | | | | Solipugids usually come out at night rather than |
| seek medical attention. | | | | the day, and they are attracted to light during the |
| Also found in Africa and the Middle East is the | | | | night time, so they occasionally encounter humans. |
| Harpactirinae, commonly called the baboon spider. | | | | Just like humans, they also seek shade if they |
| It has an appearance similar to a tarantula, with | | | | come out during the day, so once again |
| thick, hairy legs. They have strong venom and | | | | encounters are bound to occur. But stories of |
| their bites can be painful, but they are not | | | | soldiers having limbs eaten alive while sleeping are |
| considered a life-threatening danger. | | | | ridiculous distortions. Solipugids do not bite unless |
| Perhaps the most well-known spider found in the | | | | provoked. |
| Middle East in the notorious camel spider. Stories | | | | So there is no need to panic if you spot a camel |
| of these horrifying creatures spread amongst US | | | | spider in desert locations like Iraq or Kuwait. If |
| soldiers during the Gulf War, and more recently | | | | you leave him alone, he'll probably leave you alone |
| US troops in Iraq have spread stories and | | | | too! |