California Wolf Spider

Just found this guy crawling across my carpet and identified him as a California Wolf Spider. Wolf spiders range from tiny at one millimeter up to about 34 millimeters or 1 and 1/4 inch. This one was huge and definitely had over an inch leg span. These spiders are shades of brown with intricate stripes and marks. They inhabit a variety of landscapes including gardens, forests, and mountain meadows. They uniquely carry their eggs on their backs. The wolf spider does not create a web but instead huts and stalks its prey, much like a wolf. This behavior may be the origin of its name. They are members of the Lycosidae spider family. Although their bite may cause an uncomfortable red swelling, their venom is not lethal and they are not overtly aggressive.