The wolf spider is considered to be a common household pest in the autumn months. While wolf spiders encompass multiple species of spiders, most have similar traits in common. For instance, they tend or be darker gray or brown, fairly large, and fairly athletic. Recently, a species of wolf spider that was once thought to be extinct showed up at a military base. Where do they live, and what things set them apart from other spiders?
Physical Description and Behavior
These spiders are pretty big, ranging in size from half an inch to almost 2 inches long. On their goofy-looking faces, they have 8 eyes in 3 rows. The bottom 4 eyes are pretty small. Then two large eyes above them, and then above them are two medium-sized eyes. Unlike most other spiders, which are blind, the wolf spider has great eyesight, and the hairs on their legs give them a very acute sense of touch.
Fun Fact: These spiders do not spin webs. Instead, they catch their prey by rushing towards it violently and grabbing it. They feed at night and mainly stay on the ground to ambush their prey, sometimes taking it back to their territory before eating it.
The wolf spider is also venomous and will bite when they feel that they are being threatened. Thankfully, this venom does not do too much harm to humans. The most that you should expect when bitten by one of these hairy guys is redness, swelling, mild pain, and some itching.
Habitat and Location
These spiders can be found all over the world, except for Antarctica, Greenland, and the northernmost reaches of Canada and Russia. Due to their reach, they are not considered to be at risk. Their small yet hairy body has helped them to be able to survive in just about any habitat.
Check out more about these spiders by watching the video below!
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