The turret spider is native to Northern California, typically measuring between 13 to 18 millimeters (0.51 to 0.71 inches) in length.
The Turret Spider is known for its unique burrowing behavior. It constructs a vertical tube or "turret" above its burrow using silk, soil, and plant bits. This helps to hide the entrance and anchors the burrow.
Turret spiders are known for being reclusive, spending most of their life within a burrow and rarely venturing outside it. (That's why we have a picture of the burrow, but not the spider!) When they are seen, it's mostly at night or during wet seasons when they repair or extend their turrets.
Turret Spiders are ambush hunters: they stay inside the burrow waiting to sense prey above. The motion of prey on the turret causes vibrations. The Turret Spider quickly dashes out, grabs the prey, and retreats to the safety of the burrow.
Some species of Turret Spiders can live several years, with females often outliving males by multiple years. Mature males leave their burrows to find a mate, using scent to locate females. After mating, males typically die shortly thereafter.
Female Turret Spiders also are generally larger than males.
Photo by Patty Martin-Claspell