More on lovely Nevada Spiders and Myths

Vinegaroon or Spider?

Okay, I need to settle this argument, once and for all.

While sitting in the backyard, I noticed a spastic critter skittering across the wall and pointed it out to my guests.  The first comment was “It’s a vinegaroon”.

I replied that it was a “sun spider”. 

“No, it’s a vinegaroon”.

“No, it’s a sun spider”.

Etcetera…

The reason I knew it was a sun spider was a few years earlier, we had found a strange, scary looking creature and sent it to the Smithsonian.  They graciously sent a full-fledged report back on the specimen.  The scientific name is “solpugid” and they are voracious predators.  They are beneficial to home owners as they prey on cockroaches, bedbugs, and other pests. .  They are related to spiders and have been called camel spiders and wind scorpions.  They are not poisonous, but according to the Smithsonian, have the strongest jaws in the world, proportional to their size.  They are fascinating to watch as they hunt, catch and devour their prey.  They have poor eyesight and rely on the hairs on their front “legs” that they hold out to sense vibrations of potential prey.

Some of you may have seen the internet photo that circulated from overseas depicting what appears to be a gigantic mutated version of the sun spider.  It was an optical illusion.  The sun spider was actually two spiders hooked together and they were normal sizes, approximately five inches across, each.

They are called “camel spiders” due to the MYTH that they live inside camel’s stomachs and each their way out.  Other myths are that they can run 25-30 mph and scream as they do so or that they have anesthetic venom that allows them to gnaw at their victim without the victim knowing and that they get to the size of a Frisbee.  Those “camel spiders” are the same as we have here, but we have no camels (that I’ve seen).

Vinegaroons on the other hand are usually called whip scorpions, partially due to the tail (usually where a real scorpions sting/tail would be) being a hair-like projection.  They are not poisonous, but spray a type of acid that smells like, you guessed it, vinegar.  They prey on insects and are harmless to humans.  I have yet to see a vinegaroon around the LV area.

Another name they have been called is “cave spider”

Evil looking to say the least, but have yet to hear of any encounters with humans other than the show “Fear Factor”, where the contestant had to eat several of the crunchy critters.  You will see several photos where the owners of the creepy crawly are holding it in their hands.

Hmmm.  Vinegaroon and oil salad dressing? All natural…no croutons needed.  Got crunch?

Silent and deadly, if you’re dinner…

A few years ago, I was unwittingly introduced to a native of Nevada.  An eight-legged native. (Map)

While doing some yard work, I think while trimming some bushes, I received a bite on my right leg, just above the ankle.  Never felt it. I noticed the bite while showering after.  Looked like a small red welt, no pain, no concern on my part.

Everyday afterwards, I noticed the area around the bite turning red, swelling slightly and the center bite area was growing in size, scabbing in the center. The whole area was getting sensitive to touch and real sensitive to heat, almost feeling like a burn.

As with most guys, I brushed it off, thinking the scab would dry up and fall off. 

But the scabbed area continued to grow and the red area grew in size also, larger than a softball.

I tried some natural lotion, which seemed to inflame it.

Concerned, I showed it to my yoga instructor.  She said, matter of factly, that “that’s a spider bite.  You need to go to the hospital and if you don’t, you could die. And that’s all I’m saying about it”.

Evidently, my stubbornness was well-known.

I was escorted to the emergency room at Centennial Hospital.  The triage nurse looked at my leg and immediately said “you got bit by a recluse”.

The doctor came in and diagnosed it as probably a spider bite, a desert recluse. He explained to me that in this area, we have the desert recluse, a relative of the more well-known brown recluse. He added I was lucky that is was a desert, and not a brown that had bitten me as the brown’s venom was more potent and I my wound would’ve been worse.  The venom is described as necrotic (killing the tissue) causing damage to the surrounding area around the bite. It may spread slowly if not treated, growing larger and causing more damage to   the tissue.   The brown recluse is located more towards the Midwest area of the country and not normally in this region.

The brown recluse is legendary.  Several pictures circulate around the web (get it?) showing results of bites and after treatment results.  Some of the more severe cases involved amputation of body parts.

After a couple of painful shots and a series of antibiotics, I was on the road to recovery.  However, to this day, I do bear the scar of the encounter.

This all happened approximately 4 years ago and I still have a golf ball sized scarred area, looking more like a large bruise with a darker center that will never go away.  It’s still a little tender, but not near as bad.

The desert recluse is sometimes called the “violin” or “fiddle back” spider because of the shape on the top of the body. 

They like cracks in the walls and floors, curtains, seldom used clothing and can get stuck in the bathtub or shower because of the smooth surfaces.  They seem to be common in the garage or storage areas of the home.

I’ve encountered several individuals who have been bit by the recluse and the symptoms seem to vary greatly.

Some experience very little discomfort with little scarring, while others endure painful lesions and end up with large, scarred areas.  One of my co-workers had a large area that wrapped around his midsection, aggravated by the equipment he had to wear for work.

Many believe that the spiders inject different amounts of venom depending on the situation, causing the difference in the wounds.

If you wish to see these eight-legged natives of southern Nevada close-up and in person, go to the Las Vegas Valley Water District’s Spring preserve, (website), and check out the wildlife and learn a lot about Las Vegas history.