The Rabid Wolf is a species of yellow spiders that are found in limited regions in North America. They are often confused for rabies-carriers because of their name; however, the term ‘rabid’ refers to their fast-moving and erratic movements marked by excessive enthusiasm.
Size: The females are larger than the male, with the former being 16 to 21 mm in length, while the latter has an average length of 13 mm.
Color: The cephalothorax part has two black stripes, while the abdomen has only one, and of the same color. The rest of the body of the spider is yellow.
Other Characteristic Features: They are active hunters and chance predators that would wait until a prey arrives close enough to attack suddenly. They do not spin webs.
The egg sacs are between 7 and 10 mm in diameter.The female of the species drags their egg mass around along with them. The mass is attached to their bodies by a silken cocoon spun around it. As the time for the eggs to hatch nears, the cocoon gradually turns darker – from glossy white to a muddy brown.
As the eggs hatch, around 168 to 365 very tiny baby spiders come out and ride on the back of their mother. They move along with the mother until they are ready to get dispersed, which takes almost around six months.
They are not considered poisonous according to government and academic sources. They are also not aggressive and usually run away if they feel threatened, or in danger. They would only inflict a bite if there is no other option, and the bite can be mildly painful, but has been defined as ‘medically insignificant’ (does not give any infection to humans).
| Lifespan | Up to two years in the wild |
| Distribution | Eastern to central parts of Texas and Oklahoma, in Nebraska, as far east as Maine, and down south as Florida |
| Habitat | On the ground in different open areas including farm fields, grassy lands, firewood or ground tunnels, under piles of leaves, or other ground clutter |
| Common predators | Birds, larger wolf spiders, snakes, dogs, and cats |
| Diet | Mostly prefer eating small insects and other invertebrates including locusts, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, and other smaller spiders |
Image Credits: I.pinimg.com, Objects.liquidweb.services, Jeffpippen.com, lh3.ggpht.com, Spiderzrule.com, Images.reference.com,
Nature.mdc.mo.gov
The Rabid Wolf is a species of yellow spiders that are found in limited regions in North America. They are often confused for rabies-carriers because of their name; however, the term ‘rabid’ refers to their fast-moving and erratic movements marked by excessive enthusiasm.
Size: The females are larger than the male, with the former being 16 to 21 mm in length, while the latter has an average length of 13 mm.
Color: The cephalothorax part has two black stripes, while the abdomen has only one, and of the same color. The rest of the body of the spider is yellow.
Other Characteristic Features: They are active hunters and chance predators that would wait until a prey arrives close enough to attack suddenly. They do not spin webs.
The egg sacs are between 7 and 10 mm in diameter.The female of the species drags their egg mass around along with them. The mass is attached to their bodies by a silken cocoon spun around it. As the time for the eggs to hatch nears, the cocoon gradually turns darker – from glossy white to a muddy brown.
As the eggs hatch, around 168 to 365 very tiny baby spiders come out and ride on the back of their mother. They move along with the mother until they are ready to get dispersed, which takes almost around six months.
They are not considered poisonous according to government and academic sources. They are also not aggressive and usually run away if they feel threatened, or in danger. They would only inflict a bite if there is no other option, and the bite can be mildly painful, but has been defined as ‘medically insignificant’ (does not give any infection to humans).
| Lifespan | Up to two years in the wild |
| Distribution | Eastern to central parts of Texas and Oklahoma, in Nebraska, as far east as Maine, and down south as Florida |
| Habitat | On the ground in different open areas including farm fields, grassy lands, firewood or ground tunnels, under piles of leaves, or other ground clutter |
| Common predators | Birds, larger wolf spiders, snakes, dogs, and cats |
| Diet | Mostly prefer eating small insects and other invertebrates including locusts, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, and other smaller spiders |
Image Credits: I.pinimg.com, Objects.liquidweb.services, Jeffpippen.com, lh3.ggpht.com, Spiderzrule.com, Images.reference.com,
Nature.mdc.mo.gov
James Lambrou on February 1, 2019.
Dr. Watuwa James
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