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Photo#358392
Puppy found this! - Bothriocyrtum californicum - male

Puppy found this! - Bothriocyrtum californicum - Male
Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California, USA
December 12, 2009
Size: 2"
My 8 week old puppy just picked this up on our patio! I've never seen anything this big before! Help!!!!

Moved
Moved from Mygalomorphs.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Trapdoor Spider
After looking everywhere, I believe this is a trapdoor spider. I've read that it's not poisonious to humans but that it might be for dogs, so I'm still worried. Watching the puppy closely, already called the vet.

 
Maybe Bothriocyrtum californicum, trapdoor spider
It's in a group of more primitive spiders referred to as mygalomorphs. They are VERY cool creatures. I can't be sure since I can't see the tips of the palps (those extra appendages coming out of each side of the spiders 'head'), but that 'crook' in the first leg looks like maybe some sort of mating clasper which only males have (usually). I bet what you have there is a common California Trapdoor Spider (the common name). See if your find matches this already identified one that Harsi photographed (click to enlarge):



And check this out (it's authored by a trusted source): California Trapdoor Spider

Male trapdoor spiders leave their underground burrows to search for a mate. The females stay in their burrows waiting for them to arrive. I think this is what your male was doing- looking for a female. They aren't dangerous really. All spiders have venom (except one family, uloboridae). They use the venom for capturing prey so they can eat, and most spiders would rather conserve that venom instead of injecting it in something in self-defense. A bite where no venom was used is called a 'dry' bite. You mentioned 'poisonous'. I hope I don't annoy you with a quick fyi, but poisonous is when it is harmful to EAT and venomous is when it is harmful if BITTEN. I haven't heard much at all about Bothriocyrtum californicum bites being especially painful or medically significant...but you're right, sometimes such things are unexpected with dogs. A puppy would no doubt love to play with a small moving object and may even try to eat it. The vet in your area will no doubt have more info about dog bites in Cali, so it's a nice thing that you called already. I hope you relocated the spider outside? And if you or your puppy ever get bit, make sure to collect the spider that did it (if you witnessed it personally), and take it with you to the doctor. I hope you found something here useful! :)

 
Thanks
Thanks Mandy for all that information! Our puppy was normal all night (getting up every 2 hours to tinkle and then play a little). We did relocate the spider into the forest (I hope it can still find a mate). I'm a big spider fan and was so shocked to see this huge version in our puppy's mouth! We spend a lot of time in our back yard and I thought I knew most of our local bugs. Mother nature always has a surprise for us! Thanks again!

 
No problemo :)
I'm really in to spiders, also, so I can ramble on about them a little too much sometimes. A similar thing happened to me here in Washington state when I found my first mygalomorph spider. It was so beautiful and mysterious looking. Something I never would've expected to find in my own yard! But so happy I did. :)

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