Finger-Like Legs – Baboon Spider

Cool Facts About The Baboon Spider

• A large spider ranging in size from 1.3 to 9 cm long, the Baboon Spider is so named because its last two leg segments curiously resemble the finger of a baboon
  
• The rest of their body is hairy and usually varies in colour from brown to grey or from yellow to black
• The Baboon Spider belongs to the family Theraphosidae–a family so large it has over 612 species worldwide!
• Some members of this species are known to be venomous and may bite unfortunate humans, the results of which are unpleasant but not fatal.
• Baboon Spiders are easy to take care of and have become a huge hit in the pet industry.  As result, despite hatching so many spiders simultaneously, Baboon Spiders have been classified as Commercially Threatened by the IUCN.

A Silky Trap

The Baboon Spiders are usually found in a variety of habitats, including dry scrublands and savannah woodlands.  These particular spiders are ground dwelling and spend their time in burrows constructed of silk, which play an important role in capturing the Spider’s prey. When they are constructing their burrows, Baboon Spiders extend the silk web past their entrance way, which helps alert them of approaching prey. 

The ill-fated victims of this cunning trap include insects like ants, beetles, and cicadas as well as invertebrates, such as scorpions, spiders, and millipedes.  Occasionally, they may even feast on amphibians and reptiles like frogs and lizards.

Welcome To Baboon Spider City

In the wild, Baboon Spiders can live up to 25 years with most species reaching sexual maturity at age 10.  Aside from their long life span, Baboon Spiders also have an interesting dispersal method.  When newly hatched spiders begin their life journey, they stay close to home. 

Normally, they walk until they find a suitable patch of land where they can create their own burrow, and frequently, this patch will be within a short distance of their mother’s burrow.  

In some cases, Baboon Spiders have formed as many as 106 burrows in an 80 square meter section, thus forming a densely packed city of spiders.