Cobweb spider vs Dromedary Camel

Enoplognatha thoracica compared with Camelus dromedarius

Key Differences

  • Cobweb spider is Vulnerable while Dromedary Camel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Cobweb spider Dromedary Camel
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids) Mammalia (Mammals)
Order Araneae (Araneae) Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family Theridiidae Camelidae (Camels)
Genus Enoplognatha Camelus (Camels)
Species Enoplognatha thoracica Camelus dromedarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobweb spider and Dromedary Camel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Cobweb spider

VU — Vulnerable

Dromedary Camel

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Cobweb spider Dromedary Camel
Diet Herbivore
Average Lifespan 40 years
Average Length 2.3 m
Average Weight 600.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobweb spider

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Dromedary Camel

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan.

Cobweb spider

Enoplognatha thoracica is a slender cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, a widespread group of three-dimensional web-building spiders found across the temperate regions of Europe and North America. This small spider, typically measuring 3–5 millimeters in body length, constructs irregular, tangled cobwebs in low vegetation, hedgerows, meadow margins, and scrubby habitats where it captures small flying and crawling arthropods. The body is pale yellowish-brown to creamy white with darker markings on the abdomen, and the legs are long and slender relative to body size, adapted for navigating the three-dimensional structure of its web. Like other theridiids, Enoplognatha thoracica uses a gum-foot trap technique in which sticky vertical threads attached to the substrate at their lower ends snap insects upward when disturbed, immobilizing prey effectively. The species occupies a range spanning much of Europe eastward into temperate Asia and has established populations in parts of North America, likely through accidental human-mediated dispersal. Females produce egg sacs that are guarded within the web until hatching. The species is associated with disturbed and edge habitats and tolerates moderate agricultural landscapes. It is classified as Vulnerable by some assessments, reflecting localized population pressures from habitat loss and intensification of land use in parts of its range, though other evaluations consider it more broadly secure.

Dromedary Camel

The dromedary is the single-humped camel, domesticated over 4,000 years ago. The hump stores fat, not water.

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