Cobweb weaver vs Golden Eagle

Steatoda nobilis compared with Aquila chrysaetos

Key Differences

  • Cobweb weaver is Not Evaluated while Golden Eagle is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Cobweb weaver Golden Eagle
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids) Aves (Birds)
Order Araneae (Araneae) Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family Theridiidae Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus Steatoda Aquila (True Eagles)
Species Steatoda nobilis Aquila chrysaetos

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobweb weaver and Golden Eagle share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Cobweb weaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Cobweb weaver Golden Eagle
Diet Carnivore
Average Lifespan 30 years
Average Length 85 cm
Average Weight 5.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobweb weaver

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Ecuador).

Golden Eagle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cobweb weaver

The noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis) is a theridiid spider that has attracted considerable media attention in the British Isles and along the Atlantic coast of Europe due to its painful but rarely dangerous bite and its rapid range expansion facilitated by human activity. Originally native to the Canary Islands and Madeira, the species arrived in southern England during the 19th century, likely via banana shipments, and has since spread northward through Britain and westward into Ireland, while also establishing populations along the Iberian Peninsula and Atlantic France. Females are robust, with a dark brown carapace and a distinctive cream-colored pattern on the bulbous abdomen that varies between individuals; females reach 8.5–14 millimeters in body length, making this one of the larger European theridiids. The species constructs persistent, tangled cobwebs in sheltered locations outside buildings—under window ledges, in door frames, and in garden walls—as well as within homes in cooler seasons. It is a generalist predator, capturing insects and other invertebrates, and has been reported to occasionally subdue prey considerably larger than itself, including small lizards. Steatoda nobilis venom produces steatodism, which can cause localized pain, swelling, and in rare cases systemic symptoms. Its conservation status has not been formally assessed, but its expanding range demonstrates considerable resilience.

Golden Eagle

Among the most powerful and widely distributed raptors in the world, golden eagles have wingspans reaching 2.2 meters and inhabit mountainous terrain across the Northern Hemisphere. Supreme aerial hunters, they use soaring flight and steep dives at speeds over 200 km/h to capture rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, and occasionally young deer and foxes. In many cultures they have been central to falconry traditions spanning millennia.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

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