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Six-eyed Sand Spider (Sicarius thomisoides)

Sicarius thomisoides

The Sicarius thomisoides, the formidable 'Six-eyed Sand Spider' of South America. It is a legendary fossorial, famous for its hunting technique: it buries itself lightning fast under the fine sand moving its legs laterally like a crab, disappearing in a few seconds. Sand/ochre colored, it is a robust and flat spider, whose cuticle is covered with microscopic hairs that retain the grains of sand, offering a perfect camouflage. Closely related to the Loxosceles, it possesses a powerfully cytotoxic/necrotoxic venom. Fortunately, it is an extremely peaceful animal reluctant to bite, preferring absolute camouflage to any form of aggression.

Taxonomy

Class:Arachnida

Order:Araneae

Family:Sicariidae

Genus:Sicarius

Species:Sicarius thomisoides

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Environment

Terrestrial

Humidity

30 - 40 %

Day temperature

24 - 30 °C

Night temperature

18 - 22 °C

UVB

None

Species description

Geographic Origin and Habitat: World Spider Catalog records Chile as the distribution of Sicarius thomisoides. This recovery makes no habitat statement beyond the cited facts above.

Taxonomy and Genetics: World Spider Catalog treats Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer, 1847 as an accepted type species in genus Sicarius, family Sicariidae. It cites Walckenaer 1847a: 379 as the original description. This recovery makes no genetic statement beyond the cited facts above.

Behaviour and Habits: This recovery makes no behavioural statement beyond the cited facts above.

Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism: This recovery makes no morphological or sex-comparison statement beyond the cited facts above.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Terrarium Setup: This recovery provides no enclosure or substrate prescription.

Lighting and Heating: A thermal-ecology study of female Sicarius thomisoides from Chilean coastal and inland populations found no variation in thermal-performance-curve parameters, with a mean optimum of 25.33 ± 2.65 °C. This is a measured physiological result, not a heating target.

Humidity and Hydration: This recovery sets no humidity or watering target.

Feeding and Supplementation: This recovery sets no feeding or supplementation protocol.

Compatibility and Coexistence: This recovery makes no cohabitation recommendation.

Health and Common Diseases: This recovery provides no health, disease, toxicology, or treatment protocol.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

This species originates from: Sud America (Deserti aridi e zone sabbiose del Cile).

Origin

Extra-Amazon South America

Terrestrial invertebrate profile

Diet: No verified data available
Life expectancy: No verified data available
Adult size: 2 cm
Lifestyle/Microhabitat: No verified data available
Activity cycle: No verified data available
Sociality: No verified data available
Reproduction: No verified data available
Venom level: No verified data available
Handling tolerance: No verified data available
Brumation: No verified data available
Molting: No verified data available

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

Related species

Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.

Variants and close relatives

Same atlas type, nearby scientific identity, genus, or family.

Recommended companions

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Similar care

Cards with similar requirements, difficulty, habitat, and husbandry profile.

Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Origin

Terrestrial invertebrate profile

Image gallery

Related species

Variants and close relatives

Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)

Recommended companions

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Bearded Dragon (Hypomelanistic)

Bearded Dragon (Leatherback)

Similar care

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