Typical Arthropods are animals that have:

	Segmented body - the segments are usually grouped in 2 or 3 distinct regions.
	Paired segmented appendages.
	Chitinous exoskeleton that is periodically shed and renewed as the animal grows.
	Open circulatory system.

Two of the most commonly found classes of Arthropods found in the desert are the Arachnids (animals with 4 pairs of legs) and Insects (animals with 3 pairs of legs). Arachnids can be further divided into three groups namely; Spiders, Scorpions and Wind scorpions (sun spiders; solipugids).

Spiders

The most venomous spider found in the United Arab Emirates is the Black Widow Latrodectus sp., which is an introduced species from Australia. Rarely found in the desert but is more common in urban areas preferring dark, humid areas such as warehouses and garages. These spiders are not aggressive but will defend themselves if threatened.Black Widow's can be easily identifiable by the way they hang from their web, as well as the seemingly random construction of there of. The clear red "hour glass" stripe found on their abdomen is a characteristic of the species and contrasts with the predominantly black body.

Other commonly found ground dwelling spiders include Violin spiders Loxocelidae (left above) Wolf spiders Lycosidae (right above) and jumping spiders Salticidae. Of these the Violin spiders, so called as the head and abdomen resemble the shape of a violin when viewed from above, have the most toxic venom. The venom is cytotoxic and can cause ulcerating wounds if not treated. This species is a free roaming spider found near vegetation patches or around human habitation.  The other species only have a mild venom which is non lethal to humans but might cause headaches. The chelicerae (jaws) of most spiders are to small and are not capable of piercing human skin.

When cornered, most spiders tend to raise their abdomen perpendicular to the ground in order to make themselves appear larger and to keep their soft abdomen out of the way of predators.

Scorpions

This Arabian Thick-tailed scorpion Androctonus crassicauda is commonly found in sandy desert areas with some plant cover. It is one of the larger species of scorpion with an adult measuring 10-15 cm in length (from the head to the tip of the tail). This scorpion belongs to the family Buthidae, a characteristic of this family is the thicker tail than the pincers. This is also an indication that a scorpion has a more toxic venom than species where the tail is proportionately thinner than the pincers (Scorpionidae). The scorpion's venom, although seldom fatal, can be very painful and requires medical attention.The species is nocturnal and emerges from its burrow at dusk to hunt for food. They are attracted to light and areas with higher humidity. When threatened, the tail with the sting presented will be held above the abdomen, but the scorpion will only strike if agitated as the production of venom takes a lot of energy. The scorpion will generally take flight if disturbed and will only attack if provoked.

Other scorpions found in the desert include Bathacus yotvatensis nigroaculeatus (left above), a thick tailed scorpion, measuring 10-15cms in length and is predominantly yellow in colour. These scorpions are generally found in true desert such as those found near Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. They are the most venomous scorpions found in the United Arab Emirates although their sting is seldom fatal but medical attention must be sought as soon as possible.Another thick tailed scorpion Compsobuthus sp. found in the desert has a noticeably dark abdomen and tail with yellow legs. As with the other thick-tailed scorpions, medical attention should be sought as soon as possible. These scorpions are found in sandy desert areas and are relatively common around human habitation hiding under rubble, boards or other materials. They are nocturnal.The photo on the right gives a good indication of a scorpion from the family Scorpionidae. The tail to pincer thickness is clearly visible and indicates that the sting of this scorpion is not as venomous as that of the thick-tailed scorpions. This despite the fact that many scorpionids are larger in size than the Buthids (thick-tailed scorpions).

Found in the sandy areas Vachionolus globimanus, is a small (5-8 cm in length) yellow coloured scorpion. The abdomen of these scorpions is dark in colour and there is a definite difference in pincer size between the males and females of this species. These scorpions are smaller than the other 3 and not as strong indicating that a lot more force is required by them to be able to insert the sting into a person.

Wind ScorpionsCamel spiders, as in all arachnids, have four pairs of limbs although they generally only make use of last three for running and moving about. The foremost pair are not legs at all but 'antennae' for feeling their way around. They have very large chelicerae (jaws) for catching and chewing their prey. These animals are very quick runners and are capable of catching prey larger than themselves. Their common name 'wind scorpion' originated from the fact that they are closely related to scorpions and run like the wind. The 'sun spider' name is actually a misnomer as they do not like the sun and try to move away from it as soon as possible - one of the reasons they are thought to be very aggressive as they will run towards a person if trapped or disturbed during the day. The reason for this is that they are actually trying to get into a shaded area rather than attacking you! They also have nocturnal habits and are often attracted to fires in search of prey.

Camel spiders are not regarded as true spiders for 3 reasons: they do not have silk glands; they do not have any venom glands and they digest their food inside not outside their body. The bite of a camel spider is not venomous but can be very painful. Any bite should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent any secondary infection from taking place.

All bites and stings should be treated as soon as possible, and where necessary, medical attention must be sought. If possible, the animal that has inflicted the bite or sting should be collected for identification purposes.