Wolf spider is a stout hunting spider with a hairy body. Wolf spiders chase down prey instead of spinning webs. They live on every continent but Antarctica. There are more than 2,000 species (kinds) of wolf spider.
Wolf spiders are usually dull in color, helping them to blend in with the ground. They may be brown, black, gray, or other colors. Some wolf spiders have patterns. They range from less than 1/5 inch to more than 2 inches (5 to 50 millimeters) long. Most wolf spiders are covered in tiny hairlike spines called setae. These hairs serve as a covering for the body. Setae can help the spiders to hold onto objects. They also can be sense organs that detect vibrations, tastes, and odors.
Many spiders are mistakenly called wolf spiders because of their hairy appearance. True wolf spiders can be identified by their eight eyes. They have a row of four smaller eyes across the front of the head. The top of the head has four larger eyes in a rectangular arrangement. Wolf spiders have sharp vision and see well at night.
Wolf spiders are predators (hunting animals). Unlike most spiders, they do not capture prey with silk webs. Instead, they wander in search of prey. They run quickly and can chase down most prey. Wolf spiders also ambush prey from burrows. Their most common prey are insects, but they also eat other spiders. Wolf spiders use speed, strength, and venom (poison delivered by bite) to subdue their prey. Wolf spiders are not dangerous to human beings.
Female wolf spiders typically lay dozens of eggs. Wolf spiders are unusual in that they provide much care for their young. The female protects the eggs in a silken egg sac attached to the end of her abdomen. After the baby spiders hatch, the female opens the egg sac. The spiderlings crawl out onto the female’s back, where they cling to special hairs. The spiderlings ride on the mother’s back for about a week or more as they mature. Wolf spiders usually live for about a year. 
