Chinese Shrew vs cobweb spiders

Sorex sinalis compared with Steatoda grossa

Key Differences

• Chinese Shrew is Data Deficient while cobweb spiders is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chinese Shrew	cobweb spiders
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Araneae (Araneae)
Family	Soricidae	Theridiidae
Genus	Sorex	Steatoda
Species	Sorex sinalis	Steatoda grossa

Evolutionary Relationship

Chinese Shrew and cobweb spiders share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Chinese Shrew

DD — Data Deficient

cobweb spiders

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chinese Shrew	cobweb spiders
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chinese Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

cobweb spiders

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (29 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Ecuador).

Chinese Shrew

The Chinese Shrew (Sorex sinalis) is a species in the genus Sorex. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.

cobweb spiders

The false black widow (Steatoda grossa) is a cosmopolitan cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, often mistaken for the true black widow due to its similarly dark, globose abdomen, though it lacks the red hourglass marking. Females reach 6–10 millimeters in body length and display a deep purplish-brown to nearly black coloration with faint pale markings on the dorsal abdomen. Originally native to western Europe, Steatoda grossa has spread globally through human commerce, establishing populations in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and other regions where it thrives in human structures including homes, sheds, and outbuildings. The spider constructs a persistent, tangled cobweb in sheltered corners and recesses, where it captures woodlice, ants, beetles, and other arthropods—notably targeting invertebrates that many other spiders avoid. The venom of S. grossa causes steatodism, a syndrome of localized pain, sweating, and systemic discomfort that is rarely serious but can cause significant distress. Interestingly, the antivenin produced for Latrodectus (true widow) spider bites has been shown to effectively treat Steatoda envenomations, underscoring the phylogenetic relatedness of these genera. Females produce several egg sacs during a season, each containing dozens of eggs wrapped in distinctive silken cocoons. The species is classified as Least Concern given its expanding global distribution facilitated by human activity.