Quick Take
- Camel spiders do chase people, but their real motive has nothing to do with attacking. See the real reason →
- Being non-venomous doesn't mean camel spiders are harmless-looking. Their powerful jaws do all the work.
- There's a specific physical limitation that dictates every move a camel spider makes in daylight. Check the sun limitation →
- Something you cast without thinking twice is exactly what triggers a camel spider to sprint toward you. Find out what triggers them →
Camel spiders are desert arachnids that exhibit strange behaviors. One example is that they chase after people, but for reasons you might not expect. Since camel spiders are not venomous, why might they be chasing you? This YouTube Short by @GeneralApathy shows a video of a camel spider chasing someone and explains why. Continue reading to learn more.
Camel spiders are not true spiders; they belong to their own order of arachnids called Solifugae, which is distinct from true spiders (order Araneae).
©Dmitry Fch/Shutterstock.com
Why Camel Spiders Chase People
Camel spiders are a non-true spider species that inhabit dry environments across the world. Most common in deserts, they live in North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and even in the southwest United States. They are nocturnal arachnids that avoid the grueling heat and harsh sun in their habitats. Unlike true spiders, camel spiders do not produce venom. Instead, they rely on their powerful jaws to subdue prey. Some of their prey include insects, other spiders, and even small rodents. Growing up to six inches long, including their legs, they rely on quick bursts of speed and their long legs to catch prey.
Camel spiders have been known to chase after people. This can be terrifying if you don’t know anything about them, especially that they are not venomous. While scary, they don’t chase people to attack them. They chase for a much more innocent reason: to avoid the sun. Camel spiders rarely find themselves in the intense heat of the desert during the day, as they spend it burrowed underground. When they are in the sun, they tend to stay in the shade as they cannot regulate their body temperature well. A person walking through the desert casts an ideal patch of shade, so camel spiders may sprint toward the moving shadow. This interesting behavior can be a bit scary at first, but it becomes quite amusing once you understand the reason behind it.
