Jul 29, 2026 · 15 min · 11 segments
Life in a burrow, hunting via vibrations, and a bite that hurts – but is usually less dangerous than many believe. Baboon spiders are among the most fascinating animals in southern Africa. They are…
Baboon spiders are robustly built.
They have strong legs and are heavily haired.
Depending on the species, they can be brown, gray, yellowish, or even golden in color.
Some species appear to be 12 to 15 centimeters in size when their legs are fully extended.
If you suddenly come across such an animal in camp or on a path, it's quite an impressive sight.
But the most important thing right up front, baboon spiders are not aggressive monsters.
They don't jump at you and they don't chase people.
They don't lie in wait somewhere to attack or bite us.
They are primarily ground dwellers as well as nocturnal hunters and very shy animals.
Baboon spiders belong to the so-called mygalomorphs.
These are rather primitive spiders.
The most important difference from many other spiders lies in the chelicerae .
In many spiders the chelicerae move sideways against each other.
In mygalomorphs, they strike forward and downward.
Imagine two daggers thrusting downward in parallel.
That's roughly what it looks like.
And these fangs are impressively large.
In some baboon spiders, they are over a centimeter long.
And I find that quite remarkable for a spider.
And yes, a bite is painful, but for most species, it is not medically significant for humans.
That means it hurts, maybe for a day, maybe even two days, but normally it is not life-threatening.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't take a bite lightly.
It can lead to severe pain, swelling, redness or even an infection, especially if the bite area becomes contaminated.
If the symptoms become more severe, persist or worsen, you should definitely see a doctor.
So, you don't pick up a baboon spider, you don't provoke it and you don't take it out of its burrow.
Baboon spiders are robustly built.
They have strong legs and are heavily haired.
Depending on the species, they can be brown, gray, yellowish, or even golden in color.
Some species appear to be 12 to 15 centimeters in size when their legs are fully extended.
If you suddenly come across such an animal in camp or on a path, it's quite an impressive sight.
But the most important thing right up front, baboon spiders are not aggressive monsters.
They don't jump at you and they don't chase people.
They don't lie in wait somewhere to attack or bite us.
They are primarily ground dwellers as well as nocturnal hunters and very shy animals.
Baboon spiders belong to the so-called mygalomorphs.
These are rather primitive spiders.
The most important difference from many other spiders lies in the chelicerae .
In many spiders the chelicerae move sideways against each other.
In mygalomorphs, they strike forward and downward.
Imagine two daggers thrusting downward in parallel.
That's roughly what it looks like.
And these fangs are impressively large.
In some baboon spiders, they are over a centimeter long.
And I find that quite remarkable for a spider.
And yes, a bite is painful, but for most species, it is not medically significant for humans.
That means it hurts, maybe for a day, maybe even two days, but normally it is not life-threatening.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't take a bite lightly.
It can lead to severe pain, swelling, redness or even an infection, especially if the bite area becomes contaminated.
If the symptoms become more severe, persist or worsen, you should definitely see a doctor.
So, you don't pick up a baboon spider, you don't provoke it and you don't take it out of its burrow.
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