Photo: C. Weir, December 18, 2010. California Trapdoor Spider is about an inch long, gauging by the Bougainvillea leaves for scale. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
A California Trapdoor Spider has been hanging around a Red Car Property neighbor's yard. C. Weir wrote in an email, "I thought it was dead, and poked at it with keys to flip it over and the legs moved. It hung around the courtyard for several days, acting dead but not, and I then moved it off to the side of the yard so it wouldn't get stepped on accidentally."
Photo: C. Weir, December 18, 2010. California Trapdoor Spider playing dead. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Weir continues, "I thought maybe it was dying but when I put it on a piece of paper it started to move fast, a little too fast for my comfort."
Trapdoor Spiders are often mistaken for Tarantulas. In the summer, I've seen them at night, near the top of Corralitas Drive. I always thought they were small Tarantulas - thanks for the ID!
Learn more about Trapdoor Spiders: Bug Guide
Commonly found spiders in California: Insect Identification
Read a local's take on What's That Bug?
