Cobweb spider vs Golden-rumped elephant shrew

Enoplognatha thoracica compared with Rhynchocyon chrysopygus

Key Differences

• Cobweb spider is Vulnerable while Golden-rumped elephant shrew is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobweb spider	Golden-rumped elephant shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Macroscelidea (Macroscelidea)
Family	Theridiidae	Macroscelididae
Genus	Enoplognatha	Rhynchocyon
Species	Enoplognatha thoracica	Rhynchocyon chrysopygus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobweb spider and Golden-rumped elephant shrew share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Cobweb spider

VU — Vulnerable

Golden-rumped elephant shrew

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cobweb spider	Golden-rumped elephant shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

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.

Golden-rumped elephant shrew

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.