When a sand spider attacks, its two speckled, tan legs erupt from the sand, plunging forward with murderous speed, followed by a spider the size of a horse. They attack as often in broad daylight as at night.

Drag Prey into Tunnels. Sand spiders lurk beneath the arid plains and dry grasslands. These carnivores hunt desert dwellers and plains travelers by burrowing into loose sand so they are completely hidden from view. When prey walks over their trap, the spider lunges up from hiding, snares the prey, and drags it down beneath the sand, where it can wrap the prey in webbing before quickly stabbing it to death.

Spider Packs. More terrifying than a lone sand spider is a group of sand spiders hunting together. They build connected lair networks called clusters, containing one female and 2 or 3 males. They work together with one sand spider attacking to draw attention, and 2 or 3 others attacking from trapdoors in the opposite direction, behind the skirmish line.