California Trapdoor Spider

Bothriocyrtum californicum is one of the more iconic trapdoor spider species, found in coastal southern California. Like all trapdoor spiders, she lives her entire adult life inside a vertical silk-lined burrow up to 30 cm deep. The defining feature is the burrow's lid: a precisely-fitted hinged door made of silk, dirt, and plant debris that camouflages perfectly with the surrounding ground. The spider waits inside, holding the door slightly ajar with one leg, listening for vibrations from passing prey. When prey walks within centimeters, the spider bursts out, seizes it with chelicerae and front legs, drags it inside, and shuts the door — all in a fraction of a second. Trapdoor spiders are exceptionally long-lived. The species' record is held by 'Number 16,' a female trapdoor spider tracked from 1974 to 2016 in the wheat-belt of Western Australia. She died at 43 years — the longest documented lifespan of any spider in scientific literature. Cause of death: a parasitic wasp punctured her burrow door. Trapdoor spider bites are medically insignificant to humans.