Hogna schmitzi

Wolf Spider owes its name to its resemblance to a crab, this species is unique to Porto Santo, ranging from the dune area to Pico do Facho and Ilhéu de Ferro. The female can measure 9.5 cm in length paw to paw while the male can measure 10.5 cm. The body is predominantly brown except for the legs which are orange and despite having a very refined sense of touch, this spider depends a lot on the sense of sight to hunt. She is an excellent nocturnal hunter who hides under rocks during the day. It feeds on crawling geckos and invertebrates.

Photo Credits: Fábio Brito

TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY. KNOWING TO PRESERVE!