Today’s Wild Fact may be creepy but I promise it won’t bite……on second thought, it probably will bite a little. The Rabid Wolf Spider is known to be rather aggressive, however, they are not typically dangerous to humans. This is a good thing since they are one of the most common spiders found throughout the United States. Although, they are typically found on the western side towards Texas, they have been spotted as far east as Maine and Florida….which is pretty much as far east as you can go. So is anyone up for a quick trip to the States to find one of these magnificent creatures? How come it’s always harder to get people to come on a spider expedition then it is for something cute like a monkey?

What’s My Name!?

The Rabid Wolf Spider probably has one of the coolest names in the Animal Kingdom. They received this wicked name as a result of their hunting ability. Apparently, this spider prefers to hunt their prey, which includes crickets, ants, grasshoppers and other spiders, by slowly stalking them from a distance over a certain period of time. Yes, this is a similar hunting strategy that wolves and wild dogs employ, hence the name. I am guessing the “Rabid” tag was added on as a result of their aggressive nature but this is just my own hypothesis. 

A Grumpy Spider

As mentioned, the Rabid Wolf Spider is one of the most common spiders in the United States of America and as such they have adapted to a wide variety of environments. This particular spider has a tough time staying in one location and is known to wander from spot to spot for most of their lives. As a result, they have a lot of interactions with humans and other spiders. Perhaps, this is why they are so aggressive – they are just tired from traveling and want to get to their “next” home without being bothered. The Rabid Wolf Spider is often preyed on by larger animals such as dogs, cats, snakes and other wolf spiders, which means they need to be cautious when traveling around the country. This is why you will typically find these spiders under bushes and throughout the litter of the forest floor – they are trying to hide, so make sure you don’t take them out of their awesome hiding spot.

That does it for today’s Wild Fact. I hope you enjoyed learning about the impressive Rabid Wolf Spider.