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The Inimitable Camel Spider Trivia Quiz

You've seen the pictures. You've heard the stories. Now let's see what's real and what's not about the official creepy crawler of the Iraq War.

A multiple-choice quiz by Oddball. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Oddball

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
263,587

Updated
Aug 26 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2199

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Johnmcmanners (10/10), Barbarini (8/10), Guest 109 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The camel spider is a member of what animal order? Hint

Solifugae

Lepidoptera

Diptera

Araneae

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Question 2 of 10

2. Is the camel spider venomous?

Yes

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Question 3 of 10

3. There were reports as far back as World War I of camel spiders trying to chase after soldiers in broad daylight. For what purpose? Hint

For shade

To defend their burrows

To attack

They smelled food

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Question 4 of 10

4. What would best describe the prey of the camel spider? Hint

Anything above Lieutenant

Beetles, termites and the occasional lizard

Dogs, cats and rodents

The underside of camels

5. In one of the first pictures sent back from Iraq, the accompanying e-mail claimed that camel spiders 'have a vertical leap that would make a pro basketball player weep with envy'. Is this claim true?

Yes

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Question 6 of 10

6. The chelicerae (mouthparts) of the camel spider are of such magnitude that, for their size, they have the largest mouths in the animal kingdom.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. You've no doubt heard the camel spider, at top speed, can keep up with Humvees. It this true?

Yes

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Question 8 of 10

8. We know these little creatures live in the desert region of Iraq...which of the following areas will you NOT find camel spiders and their kin? Hint

North and South America

Southern Europe

Antarctica

Far East

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Question 9 of 10

9. One story brought back from the Gulf is that camel spiders can make a sound like a screaming baby while chasing you. Is that true?

Yes

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Question 10 of 10

10. Despite their fearsome reputation, camel spiders are not the be-all-and-end-all in the desert. Which of the following will seek out one or two for dinner? Hint

Scorpions

All of these

Birds

Reptiles

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 17 2024 : Johnmcmanners: 10/10
Nov 02 2024 : Barbarini: 8/10
Oct 26 2024 : Guest 109: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The camel spider is a member of what animal order?

Answer: Solifugae

They are in the class Arachnidae, but because they are not in the order Araneae, they are not true spiders. Officially, they are called solifugids or solpugids. They are also known as sun spiders, wind spiders and wind scorpions (and, no, they're not scorpions either).

2. Is the camel spider venomous?

Answer: No

There are various wild tales on the internet about the dangers of these spiders, but they have no venom or poison sacs. They just bite and chew with their chelicerae to turn their prey into mush. They could bite a human causing a wound which might be prone to infection, but this is rare.

3. There were reports as far back as World War I of camel spiders trying to chase after soldiers in broad daylight. For what purpose?

Answer: For shade

Since these creatures are nocturnal, they do most of their living at night (that's what 'solifugae' means in Latin...'those who hide from the sun'). When troop movements jostled them out of their homes, their first priority was to get to the coolest place they can. With the desert sun the way it is, that place was often the shadow of the nearest human.

4. What would best describe the prey of the camel spider?

Answer: Beetles, termites and the occasional lizard

For the record, they would NEVER think of climbing under a camel and slicing its stomach to eat what's inside...that's just gross (and it annoys the camel). They have been found on the carcasses of camels because dead bodies attract other insects...the solifugid's REAL target. They are called camel spiders because they live in the desert.

Answer: No

In the photos, two 'spiders' are shown in an extreme close-up hanging off one soldier's sleeve with another soldier standing back a few feet, giving the impression they are crawling on this poor guy's pants. They have a horizontal leap for catching food on a sand dune, but as far as a vertical take-off, there is little to none.

6. The chelicerae (mouthparts) of the camel spider are of such magnitude that, for their size, they have the largest mouths in the animal kingdom.

Answer: True

Yeah, they are ugly, and look like they ate some of Popeye's spinach and it all went to their face instead of their arms. That's what they need to catch and kill their food. Despite their ugliness, some people keep them as pets, much like tarantulas, praying mantids and scorpions.

7. You've no doubt heard the camel spider, at top speed, can keep up with Humvees. It this true?

Answer: No

For an arid environment, the camel spider moves pretty fast, but just fast enough to catch their food. That rounds off to about 10 mph. A reasonably fit man...and maybe not so fit...can easily outrace them. If they can't, there's always the 'stomp' option.

8. We know these little creatures live in the desert region of Iraq...which of the following areas will you NOT find camel spiders and their kin?

Answer: Antarctica

When we say deserts, we mean almost ALL deserts, including the Gobi, the Atacama in Chile and the Mojave in the southwest U.S. and Mexico, where they are sometimes called 'matavenados' ('deer killers'...and, no, they don't kill deer any more than they kill camels).

9. One story brought back from the Gulf is that camel spiders can make a sound like a screaming baby while chasing you. Is that true?

Answer: No

No vocal cords and not enough air capacity to make any kind of noise. Usually the scream you hear is your own.

10. Despite their fearsome reputation, camel spiders are not the be-all-and-end-all in the desert. Which of the following will seek out one or two for dinner?

Answer: All of these

As if that isn't enough, smaller creatures like mites, silverfish and ants will eat camel spider eggs if given the chance.

Source: Author Oddball

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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