Camel Spiders Facts

Camel spiders with pictures and information on spider bites. Online course and research material.

Spider Facts Source: Missouri Department of Conservation

Common Missouri Spiders
A Guide to Missouri Spiders
Spider Facts

All spiders have silk glands, although not all use silk in spinning webs. When drawn and stretched from the spinnerets, located at the rear of the abdomen, the liquid silk solidifies into tiny strands that are both strong and elastic. It may require more than 80 grams of stress to break a thread of silk only .1mm in diameter. Spiders us silk for web-building, for capturing prey, for sperm transfer, for lining hibernating, molting or living chambers and constructing egg cases, for draglines and mating bowers, and spiderlings use silk for windborne travel.

Spider Bites
Many people dread the thought of a spider bite, but few in the United States die from them. Relatively few spiders area capable of piercing human skin. While it is true that most spiders have venom, the toxicity varies with the species. Most spider venom is harmless to humans but may cause temporary skin discoloration or swelling, much like a mosquito bite. Large spiders are capable of inflicting a painful bite but rarely do so unless consistently provoked. Spiders generally flee upon human approach, contrary to the tales of science-fiction writers.

Of the two potentially harmful spiders found in Missouri, you are more likely to encounter the brown recluse than the black widow. Both can inflict bites which, though rarely fatal, can cause severe pain and infection. Nationally, fewer than five people per year die from black widow bites, and it is highly unusual to find fatal brown recluse bite cases. Deaths attributed to spiders usually occur in individuals who have an extreme allergic reaction or immune deficiency to the spider's venom.

CAMEL SPIDER FACTS

Note: We are not affiliated with any online college or online university. This site is for fun and education only.