Wolf Spiders--

Lycosidae

Wolf spiders are particularly large spiders, as with the legs outstretched, they can be up to 4" long. Although, they range in size, with body lengths ranging from 1/4" to 1". They do not usually build webs, as they stalk their prey rather than wait for the meal to come to them. In fact, they got the name because of that habit, stalking their prey, because wolves do that as well. They hardly ever go into houses, and they most likely do that because a door was left open. Because of their rather big size, they can't slide in through cracks under the door. Wolf spider bites are very rare, and as harmful as a bee sting. In fact, bee stings are more common than wolf spider bites, because bees have to protect their hive, whereas wolf spiders are quick enough (most of the time) to evade capture. Wolf spiders only bite when handled or picked up, so if you find one, gently guide into a big enough container with a stick or pencil. They can be black and brown, and hairy. They resemble tarantulas in appearance, but are not. They have very good eyesight, and the females usually attach the egg sac onto her spinnerets until the babies hatch, as seen above. The wolf spider has eight eyes, four on the bottom, two extra big ones in the middle, and two medium sized eyes at the top. In total, there are more than 2000 wolf spider species. Wolf spider bites are usually emitted by the larger species, as the smaller ones do not have the ability to penetrate skin. It may swell, turn red, itch, but usually it goes away within a few hours. Because the bite may get infected, wash it frequently so this will not happen.