As their name suggests, these spiders of the Ctenizidae family are native to California but are found throughout the United States.
Size: Females are 1.25 inches (3.3 cm) long, while the males appear shorter, measuring 0.75 – 1 inch (1.8 – 2.6 cm).
Color: They come in a wide range of colors, including yellow, brown, and black. These spiders even have a chocolate brown cephalothorax, pale brown abdomen, and black jaws.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a plump body with short and thick legs and a pear-shaped abdomen. The cephalothorax is large and round, with a dimple-like feature at the center. In contrast, their jaw or chelicerae has spiny projections.
After copulation, females lay eggs in the burrows, 7-8 inches deep. The mother takes the utmost care of her eggs, hanging them up on a silk cradle wall.
After hatching, the spiderlings remain dependent on their mother for a few days, especially during the first winter. Throughout this phase, the mother feeds them. Then they leave their burrows and start building their web.
Californian trapdoor spiders do not build full-fledged webs; instead, they dig up burrows and make trap gates with their silk.
Californian trapdoor spiders aren’t venomous for humans, but their bites can lead to severe pain lasting for a few days.
| Distribution | California |
| Habitat | Damp and moist soil |
| Lifespan | 5-20 years |
| Predators | Scorpions, flies, birds, and centipedes |
| Web-type | Trap door |
| Diet | Millipedes, insects and arthropods |
Image Credits: Nathistoc.bio.uci.edu, Farm7.staticflickr.com, Geolounge.com, Bugguide.net
As their name suggests, these spiders of the Ctenizidae family are native to California but are found throughout the United States.
Size: Females are 1.25 inches (3.3 cm) long, while the males appear shorter, measuring 0.75 – 1 inch (1.8 – 2.6 cm).
Color: They come in a wide range of colors, including yellow, brown, and black. These spiders even have a chocolate brown cephalothorax, pale brown abdomen, and black jaws.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a plump body with short and thick legs and a pear-shaped abdomen. The cephalothorax is large and round, with a dimple-like feature at the center. In contrast, their jaw or chelicerae has spiny projections.
After copulation, females lay eggs in the burrows, 7-8 inches deep. The mother takes the utmost care of her eggs, hanging them up on a silk cradle wall.
After hatching, the spiderlings remain dependent on their mother for a few days, especially during the first winter. Throughout this phase, the mother feeds them. Then they leave their burrows and start building their web.
Californian trapdoor spiders do not build full-fledged webs; instead, they dig up burrows and make trap gates with their silk.
Californian trapdoor spiders aren’t venomous for humans, but their bites can lead to severe pain lasting for a few days.
| Distribution | California |
| Habitat | Damp and moist soil |
| Lifespan | 5-20 years |
| Predators | Scorpions, flies, birds, and centipedes |
| Web-type | Trap door |
| Diet | Millipedes, insects and arthropods |
Image Credits: Nathistoc.bio.uci.edu, Farm7.staticflickr.com, Geolounge.com, Bugguide.net
