Black widow spiders are considered the most venomous spiders in North America.

They are found in every state in the U.S. except Alaska, and they're most common in fields, woodpiles, and unoccupied dwellings.

Black widow spiders are carnivores. There are a lot of stories attached to black widow spiders; one of them being that their bite can kill.

Here's how to tell if you've been bitten by a black widow spider and how to treat the spider bite if you have...

The camel spider is also known as a wind scorpion, sun spider, and wind spider.

They are found mostly in the southwest U.S. and in southern Africa -- usually in desert areas.

Camel Spider Myths

There are many myths surrounding camel spiders, most of which are blatantly untrue.

I think my favorite is the one about how camel spiders can run after you at 30 mph while screaming!

My second favorite is the one that says a camel spider's venom is an anesthetic and that they inject humans with it and chew big bites out of them, and that the human will not know they've been bitten till they wake up.

Okay, granted they are ugly little buggers, I'll be the first to admit that. However, most of the stories attributed to camel spiders are not true. Most are merely urban myths.

There are several stories, pictures and videos online pertaining to the camel spider -- many of these are out of Iraq. Here are 2 videos that show the camel spider in action:

So, if those are the myths, what are the facts about camel spiders?

Do you fear spiders?

Have you read about the Brown Recluse scare?

What about the graphic pictures of a Brown Recluse spider bite... have you seen 'em?

Now you can get a FREE poster to help you identify spiders in your area.

Following is something that came my way via a many-times-forwarded e-mail. Unfortunately, I don't know who the original poster was, so I cannot give due credit. But I believe the message is such that this person would welcome the massive exposure...

UPDATE: At the very bottom of this article, you'll find photos of a brown recluse bite that were submitted by a reader of this site.

The e-mail about a brown recluse spider bite in its entirety:

Take a look at the email below and the attached pictures of a guy who was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. Some of the pictures towards the end are pretty nasty, but take a look at the last one -- it is a picture of the spider itself. Now we all should know what to look out for.

This would be wise thing to send around to people as it is almost summertime and people are going to be digging around doing yard work, and spring cleaning.

The following pictures illustrate the progression of a brown recluse spider bite. Just as a warning, day 3-6 photos are not too graphic. However, days 9 and 10 are very graphic. Your discretion is advised if you choose to view.

The final picture is the most important as it contains a picture of the actual spider. Please be careful, spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent and highly negative consequences.

FYI - They like the darkness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or other areas that might not be frequented by people or light. If you have a need to be in your attic, go up there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30 minutes before you go in to do your work.

Believe it or not, there IS such a thing as spider humor...

Check it out!...
A forensic entomologist has unveiled the happy, friendly side of spiders. He calls them Happyface Spiders.