Camel Spider Bite: Identification, Treatment and Precautionary Measures

Camel spider also known as Wind scorpion, Sun spider, and Wind spider belongs to the order Solifugae in the class of Arachnida and is found the desserts of the Middle -East. The order includes more than 1,000 species in approximately 153 genres. A camel spider neither fall into the category of Spiders nor Scorpios, it belongs to the group of arachnids known as ‘solfugids,' meaning ‘those who flee from the sun’. 

Characteristics of Camel spiders

•      Brown in colour, the size of the male Camel spiders are smaller than the female spiders.
•          They can traverse desert at speed upto 25MPH and can jump several feet high in the air.
•           They tend to lay legs in the stomachs of the camels, hence the name ‘Camel spider’.
•         Camel spiders are nocturnal and spend most of the day hidden in burrows that they excavated themselves rather than using a pre-existing hole.
•     Camel spiders are non- venomous but the venom contain a powerful anesthetic leading to complete numbness in the biting site of the victim. 

How to identify a Camel spider bite?

There are several symptoms in the body that help one to identify and differentiate between a bite of a normal spider and a Camel spider. Some of the symptoms are:

•      Intense pain- due to the spider’s chelicerae which look like pincers of crabs.
•       Swelling- the bite causes a high level of trauma in the surrounding tissues of the skin.
•       Bleeding- it depends on the intensity of the bite as well as the size of the camel spider, which produces mild to intense bleeding. 

Camel Spider bite: Treatment

Since the spiders are non-venomous, the portion of the wound can be treated by applying first aid. For applying first aid, following steps to be taken:

•         The bite portion should be washed and cleaned with saline solution or mild soap and water. Although the bite is not poisonous but is full of bacteria that may cause infection at a later stage. Therefore washing the bitten area is important.
•            An antibiotic ointment should be applied.
•        Depending on the area and intensity of the wound, a bandage should be applied to prevent dirt from affecting it.
•          Along with an antibiotic ointment, getting an anti-tetanus shot is a safe option.
•      After being in the observation for 2-3 days, if the wound doesn’t get cured, it is suggested to get a medical help and consult a doctor as early as possible. 

Precautionary Measures

Though the camel spider bite is not poisonous, but prevention is always better than cure. Some of the precautionary measures that should be taken into consideration are:

•        Keep yourself away from all the possible preys of a Camel spider such as- insects, bugs, termites etc. This is one of the most common reasons of getting camel spiders in the vicinity.
•         One should not leave the food and other eatables in the open, which attract insects, resulting in drawing the Camel spiders to prey on the food. Therefore it is advisable to keep the food protected and safe from insects and spiders.
•         One should also avoid travelling in the shady places of deserts. It is advised to avoid building large shadows or tents in the deserts which can easily lure Camel spiders to get a place to survive.

Source: http://www.healthwhoop.com/camel-spider-bite/