The Egyptian Giant Solpugids (aka....the Camel Spider!)

My daughter came home from school the other day full of stories she'd heard about this amazing "Camel Spider" that soldiers were running into in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. "Big as a dinner plate....able to leap 10' at a time....they eat into a camel's body to lay eggs....they'll chase your shadow!!!"

Just the thought of it left me feeling extremely creeped out. Especially the part about them chasing my shadow and jumping 10 FEET! ~shudder~ So..a little self-education was in order!!

  • The largest species only gets 6"....not exactly dinner-plate sized!
  • They don't eat camels or do anything else with camels...they just happen to be found in the same deserts as camels and that's where their common name comes from.
  • They don't jump.
  • They're not really spiders at all...but still arachnids...related to both spiders and scorpions.
  • They can also be found in the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico.
  • They WILL chase a human shadow!!! (They're nocturnal and don't like the bright sun...so if one is in your shadow and you move, it will follow the shadow to stay out of the sun.