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Beetles & arachnids
Trapdoor spiders
Trapdoor spiders · Ctenizidae
Trapdoor spiders are masters of staying invisible on the ground. Their hidden life is a fascinating discovery for patient nature observers.
Fact file
- Size
- Usually 1 to 3 centimetres body length, with a stocky, robust appearance
- Males and females
- Males are often somewhat slimmer and leave their hiding place to mate
- Sounds
- Silent, with occasional scraping and movement sounds at the entrance to the burrow
- Diet
- Lies in wait for prey such as insects, woodlice and centipedes at the trapdoor
- Offspring
- One egg sac with up to 150 young spiders is produced in spring or early summer
How to identify Trapdoor spiders
Trapdoor spiders are stocky, powerfully built spiders with a usually brown to black, slightly hairy, glossy body. Their strikingly large fangs and the robust front part of the body stand out clearly from the rear, rounder abdomen.
Typical features are their very short legs compared to other spiders and the strong front legs they use for digging. Depending on the species, their size is usually between 1 and 3 centimetres. They can be confused with tarantulas, but trapdoor spiders are smaller and more compactly built.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
Where Trapdoor spiders live
Discover Trapdoor spiders on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
