Six-eyed Sand Spider

These spiders are not commonly seen, although they may be locally abundant. The Six-eyed Sand Spider is a ground dweller and hides under rocks.

Full Name: Six-eyed Sand Spider (Sicarius sp.)

Other names: Sesoogsandspinnekop

Classification: MEDICALLY IMPORTANT

These spiders are not commonly seen, although they may be locally abundant. The Six-eyed Sand Spider is a ground dweller and hides under rocks or buries itself under loose sand. They are flattened in profile, usually with a large abdomen. They are usually brown to tan in colour, although some may be white or orange, usually depending on the soil colour. They are inoffensive an,d when disturbed, pull in their legs to form a tough ball. Bites are basically unheard of. It is reported that the venom is highly toxic in lab tests, but bites have not been reported in literature. They are distributed in the dry western half of the region.

Map indicating the distribution of Six-eyed Sand spiders, within Southern Africa.
African Snakebite Institute