(family Lycosidae) (SEE VIDEO)

Wolf spiders get their name from the Greek work “lycosa,” meaning “wolf”. The Carolina Wolf Spider, which is probably what you are looking at now, is the largest wolf spider in North America. It lives throughout the United States and southern Canada. They live in open fields on the ground and their main food is insects. If you ever have the opportunity to observe one in the wild it will quickly become apparent as to why they are called wolf spiders. They are fearless and voracious. Often taking down prey as big as they are or bigger. They have forward looking eyes which allow them to see depth well and will run down their prey and tackle it. Often while feeding them in captivity, crickets I throw in the cage never hit the ground They are exciting to keep in your own creepy crawly zoo but I don’t recommend handling them. I would not call them aggressive—as in vicious—but they are voracious and quick to react to movement as food. I have seen them chase and grab cigarette butts that have been thrown down often getting it all the way back to the burrow before realizing the mistake. Their venom is not fatal in any way but they are host to some rather large fangs.