Cobweb weaver vs Gorille de l'Ouest

Steatoda nobilis compared with Gorilla gorilla

Key Differences

• Cobweb weaver is Not Evaluated while Gorille de l'Ouest is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobweb weaver	Gorille de l'Ouest
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Arthropoda (arthropodes)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Araneae (araignée)	Primates (Primates)
Family	Theridiidae	Hominidae (Great Apes)
Genus	Steatoda	Gorilla (Gorillas)
Species	Steatoda nobilis	Gorilla gorilla

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobweb weaver and Gorille de l'Ouest share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (animal)

Conservation Status

Cobweb weaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Gorille de l'Ouest

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cobweb weaver	Gorille de l'Ouest
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	160.0 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).

Gorille de l'Ouest

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 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Cameroon, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Gorille de l'Ouest

The world's largest primate, western gorillas weigh up to 180 kg and inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Primarily herbivorous, living in family groups led by a silverback male who protects the troop and mediates social conflicts. Critically Endangered, with populations threatened by deforestation, poaching for bushmeat, and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.