This article is inspired by a collaboration between the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of camel spiders, creatures that have intrigued scientists and sparked curiosity around the globe.
Back in 2004, I came across an email with a picture of two enormous creatures that looked like they could be as big as a grown man’s thigh. The email claimed they could jump high enough to reach a camel, but most of that was exaggerated. These creatures are camel spiders, and while they might look huge in pictures, they are only about six to eight inches long. They are completely harmless and non-venomous, although they can run pretty fast. There are over 1,100 species of camel spiders, and they live in deserts all over the world, except for Australia and Antarctica. These creatures have been around for about 300 million years, even before the dinosaurs!
To learn more about camel spiders, I visited Dr. Paula Cushing at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Dr. Cushing is an evolutionary biologist who has been studying these creatures for nearly 17 years. She focuses on arachnids, which include spiders and scorpions, and she is one of the few scientists who regularly publishes new discoveries about camel spiders.
Dr. Cushing explained that studying camel spiders is tough because they are hard to catch in the wild and difficult to keep alive in the lab. She jokingly calls them “the spawn of Satan” because of how elusive they are. Despite their scary appearance, they are not venomous and are quite harmless. They might give a little nip, but they aren’t strong enough to break human skin.
One of the coolest things about camel spiders is their large jaws, called chelicerae, which can move in different directions. They use their legs and front appendages, known as pedipalps, to grab prey and tear it apart. Since they can’t chew, they vomit digestive enzymes onto their prey to break it down before sucking up the liquefied meal.
In the camel spider family that Dr. Cushing studies, males have no teeth on their upper jaw, while females have teeth on both jaws. During mating, the male uses his jaws to transfer a sperm packet to the female. After mating, he quickly leaves to avoid being eaten by the female.
Some soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported that camel spiders appear to chase them. Dr. Cushing explained that this behavior is likely because the soldiers disturb the spiders’ daytime burrows, causing them to seek shade and accidentally run after the soldiers’ shadows.
Camel spiders are amazing creatures with the ability to stay active for long periods, thanks to their efficient oxygen transport system. Despite their intimidating looks, they are harmless and play a vital role in desert ecosystems as both predators and prey for other animals.
Understanding the biology of all organisms on Earth is essential because we share our planet with millions of species that we know little about. There is still much to learn about camel spiders, making the study of these creatures an exciting and rewarding journey.
Research more about camel spiders and create a fact sheet that includes their habitat, physical characteristics, and role in the ecosystem. Use images and diagrams to make your fact sheet visually appealing. Share your fact sheet with the class to help everyone learn more about these fascinating creatures.
Imagine you are a journalist interviewing Dr. Paula Cushing. Write a list of questions you would ask her about her research on camel spiders. Then, pair up with a classmate and role-play the interview, with one of you being Dr. Cushing and the other the journalist. Present your interview to the class.
Using materials like shoeboxes, clay, and paper, design a model of a camel spider’s habitat. Include elements that are essential for their survival, such as burrows and prey. Explain to the class how your habitat supports the life of a camel spider and what challenges they might face in the wild.
Research common myths about camel spiders and create a presentation that debunks these myths using scientific facts. Include visuals and examples to make your presentation engaging. Present your findings to the class to help dispel any misconceptions about these creatures.
Create a role-playing game where you and your classmates take on the roles of camel spiders and other desert animals. Develop scenarios that highlight the interactions between camel spiders and their environment. Through this game, explore the challenges and survival strategies of camel spiders in the desert ecosystem.
This episode is brought to you by a collaboration between the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Back in 2004, at the age of 14, I received an email that featured a picture of two large, unusual creatures. They appeared to be as big as a grown man’s thigh and looked like they could take off your finger. The description mentioned that they have a “vertical leap” that would make a pro basketball player envious and that they need to jump high enough to reach a camel and extract its juices. However, most of that isn’t true. The animals are real, but the perspective makes them look huge. The largest ones are only six to eight inches long, they are completely non-venomous, and while they can run fast, they can’t outrun you. These are camel spiders, and there are more than 1,100 known species. They live in deserts all over the world, except for Australia and Antarctica, and the oldest known species date back to 300 million years ago, existing long before the dinosaurs.
Despite their abundance and long history, there is still much we don’t know about them, which is why I came to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to talk to Dr. Paula Cushing. She has been studying these creatures for nearly 17 years. Paula is an evolutionary biologist and curator of invertebrate zoology, focusing her research on arachnids, including spiders and scorpions, with a specialty in camel spiders. She is one of only a few scientists in the world regularly publishing new discoveries about these relatively mysterious creatures.
We visited her lab to learn more about her work. I asked why more people don’t study camel spiders. She explained that they are difficult to study because they are hard to catch in the field and challenging to keep alive in the lab. She humorously referred to them as “the spawn of Satan” due to their elusive nature. When asked if they are venomous or toxic, she clarified that they are not venomous and are actually quite harmless. Although they can give a little nip, they are not strong enough to break human skin.
Paula shared some interesting details about their anatomy. One remarkable feature of these arachnids is their large jaws, called chelicerae, which can move in multiple directions. They use their legs and front appendages, called pedipalps, to grab prey and then tear it apart. They cannot chew, so they vomit digestive enzymes onto their prey to break it down before sucking in the liquefied meal.
In the family of camel spiders that Paula studies, males have no teeth on their upper jaw, while females have teeth on both jaws. During mating, the male grabs the female and, if she is receptive, she becomes still. The male then uses his jaws to transfer a sperm packet to her. After mating, he quickly leaves, as there is a risk that she could eat him.
I asked why it seems like camel spiders chase people. Paula explained that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported that camel spiders appear to chase them. This behavior is likely due to the soldiers disturbing the animals’ daytime burrows, causing the spiders to seek shade and inadvertently run after the soldiers’ shadows.
Camel spiders have a remarkable ability to maintain high activity levels for extended periods, thanks to their efficient oxygen transport system. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are harmless and play an important role in desert ecosystems as predators and prey for other animals.
Understanding the biology of all organisms on Earth is crucial, as we share our planet with millions of species that we know little about. There is still much to discover about camel spiders, making the study of these creatures a rewarding endeavor.
Camel – A large, long-necked ungulate mammal native to arid regions, adapted to conserve water and withstand high temperatures. – Camels have special adaptations that allow them to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert.
Spiders – Arthropods with eight legs and two body segments, known for spinning webs to catch prey. – Spiders play an important role in controlling insect populations within an ecosystem.
Biology – The scientific study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment. – In biology class, we learned about the different systems that make up the human body.
Ecosystem – A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. – The rainforest is a complex ecosystem with a diverse range of plant and animal species.
Species – A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. – Scientists discovered a new species of frog in the Amazon rainforest.
Predators – Animals that hunt and eat other animals for food. – Lions are apex predators in the African savanna, hunting animals like zebras and antelopes.
Prey – Animals that are hunted and eaten by predators. – Rabbits are common prey for foxes and other carnivorous animals.
Desert – A barren area of landscape with little precipitation, where living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. – The Sahara Desert is one of the largest and hottest deserts in the world.
Evolution – The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms over generations. – The evolution of the giraffe’s long neck is thought to be an adaptation for reaching high leaves.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – Scientists conduct research to better understand the effects of climate change on marine life.
